All Over Again
by AshGurl2897
Summary: Post Series Finale. Ryan sees the boy and makes a choice, the choice to be the man who Sandy Cohen was to him. RT.
1. Beginnings

"I'll take that for you, Mr. Atwood," the attendant at the gate offered. Ryan handed him the hard hat from his head.

"Thank you," Ryan replied, initialing "RA" and the time on the clipboard which hung from the wall. His cell phone rang. It was his boss. He picked up his briefcase and the building plans, then flipped open his phone. "Hello," he answered. A slight, warm breeze whipped across the collar of his crisp blue shirt as he crossed the street to his brand new Range Rover.

"Yeah, I'm just leaving the site now. Everything looks good. We're on schedule to meet our target date. Thank you." He snaps the phone shut. He's about to fumble with the keys in the door, when he sees a young boy sitting next to a pay phone. His bike is carelessly thrown down on the sidewalk.

Ryan breathes in, realizing this kid was him ten years ago. He remembers the day that Sandy came to his rescue. In fact, it was a day much like this one. He breathes out, considering his options.

"Hey kid," Ryan shouts. The boy looks up at him. His expression is vacant, sad, and distrusting. "Ya need help?" He makes eye contact and Ryan knows the answer to that question. The boy looks down at the cement he is sitting on, he notices its gray color and rough nature. He can't trust this guy, he can't trust anybody. But he's aware of Ryan's continued presence and looks up again. What is there to lose?

"Maybe," he replies. There is little enthusiasm behind his response. Ryan nods and walks over to him.

"I'm Ryan Atwood. Come on, you can stay with me for the night," he says, picking up the bike and walking it to the back of the Range Rover. The kid follows behind him and watches him place it inside. "Go ahead, get in," Ryan replies, motioning to the passenger door with his hand. He goes around to the drivers side, unlocks his door and then flips the switch for the others.

The drive home isn't too long, but it's long enough to have a conversation.

"So, what's your name?"

"Aaron," he replies. His gaze alternates between the road in front of him and the floor.

"Get thrown out?" Ryan can't imagine it was this hard for Sandy to get him to talk, but maybe it was. Aaron doesn't respond. "You can tell me, kid. I'm not gonna hurt you. I was in your shoes once."

"Yeah," Aaron responds. "I came home. My dad was drunk, and my mom was gone." His voice softer now. "He just got pissed and kicked me out. Said he didn't want to see me again." He looks down at the floor. "I didn't even do anything," he finishes.

"It's not your fault. Don't think of it that way," Ryan replies. He continues driving for a bit, then rounds the corner and pulls up into the driveway. He turns the ignition off, unbuckles his seat belt, and looks over at Aaron. Aaron looks up at him. "Come on, we'll get you a good dinner and you can watch TV or something. I'll call your parents in the morning. We'll get things straightened out."

He nods, "okay." Aaron walks up the large steps, following behind Mr. Atwood. It is a nice house.

"Taylor, honey?" Ryan's inquiry echoes a bit in the entryway.

"In the kitchen," she sings. The boys make their way into the kitchen, Aaron trailing by a significant amount. "Welcome home," she replies. He wraps his arms around her and places a few passionate kisses on her lips. "Taylor, I'd like you to meet Aaron. Aaron, this is my wife, Taylor." Aaron has just now made it into the kitchen, so Taylor is surprised to see that they are not alone.

"Well, hello," she smiles. He's a cute boy, even if he does look like he stepped out of 8 Mile. He reminds her of someone. Aaron manages a wave. "Ryan?" She has a puzzled look on her face.

"Aaron is going to stay with us for tonight. Is dinner going to be ready soon?"

"Ah, yes. Soon. Pot roast, asparagus, mashed potatoes and peach torte. Hope you're hungry." A smile widened across her face.

"Aaron, can I just talk to my wife alone for a minute? The TV is in there," he said, pointing to an adjoining doorway. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." Aaron nodded and left the room.

"Ryan, who is this kid?" The tone of Taylor's voice isn't anger, it's simply a question.

"Well, I was leaving the site and I saw him sitting all by himself next to a pay phone. You saw the kid, he's lost. I told him he could stay here tonight until I could talk to his parents in the morning."

"He does look pretty forlorn, but Ryan," she questioned.

"Taylor, before you freak out, he's no harm. I talked to him. This kid is me at fifteen, when Sandy took me in. I feel like I owe the world to do what I can for him after all that I got. Pay it forward."

"You know, I thought he reminded me of someone," she whispered against his lips. She kissed him gently. "Well, why not? You turned out pretty well. You're a good man, Ryan Atwood. He's welcome to stay. Just don't go bringing home every stray kid, okay?"

"I love you, Taylor. You won't regret this." He hugged her again and smiled. She was wonderful, supportive, the most beautiful woman in the world. Most of all, she was his wife. He was so thankful for that. He knew he'd be so different without her.

"Ten minutes until dinner is ready," she added. Ryan waved his hand as he hopped down the few steps and entered the family room.

Taylor smiled and pulled the peach torte out of the oven. _Never a dull moment_, she thought.

------

AN: I own nothing. I just love these characters. I struggled with whether I was going to refer to Ryan as Ryan Atwood or Ryan Cohen, and after initially putting it up as Cohen (to emphasize the full circle idea), I have re-uploaded this version, which references him as Ryan Atwood.

I was not planning to continue, but due to overwhelming response, it seems like I will have to. If anyone is interested in being a beta for me, or has any ideas for where they would like to see this go, please email me or send me a message on ff. Thanks for reading!


	2. The Shape of Things

"How are you doing," Ryan asked, entering the room. Aaron was not watching TV. He was simply sitting there. "So," he added sitting down on the couch next to the boy. _Where to begin?_ He didn't really know. "Are you sure you don't wanna watch something? We have cable, I'm sure there's something on. Video games?"

"You play video games?" He looked up. His voice tinged with shock and what Ryan took to be a little bit of excitement.

"Yeah, every once and a while. I may be old, but I'm not dead." Ryan smiled. "You wanna play?"

"Sure, I guess," he replied, trying not to sound excited.

----------

Taylor placed the last dish in the center of the large, smooth, oak dining table. Wiping her hands on her apron, she stepped down the stairs and into the family room. There she found her husband and his young friend playing some sort of racing game. She smiled and leaned against the door frame. Quietly, she began to watch them. They both stared fixedly at the screen. She lost herself in thought for a moment, imagining Ryan as the father of their children. Though they hadn't discussed it yet, she knew he would want to have them.

"Shoot," Ryan shouted as his car smacked head on into a wall. Aaron's went sailing past and right across the finish line.

"Yes!" He cheered. Taylor caught a glimmer of a smile on Aaron's face. His momentary, emotional response to winning was quickly forgotten as he set the controller down and began to stare intently at the carpet.

"Great job," Ryan patted his back reassuringly.

"Dinner is ready, boys" Taylor spoke up.

"Great, let's eat," Ryan replied. She could tell that he was really trying his best to be upbeat and outgoing with this kid. As he walked past her, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. He looked at her and she smiled. The gesture assured him that she had noticed and approved of his attempts to befriend the boy. "This looks great, hon." They all sat down at the table.

"Well, I hope so," Taylor smiled. She always worked hard to try to please Ryan. It's the kind of person she was. She wanted to make others happy; she wanted him to be happy. She took her domestic responsibilities as seriously as those in the working world. Moreover, she enjoyed cooking. Especially after she took classes in Paris. Cooking had suddenly fun when she became good.

"I really don't know how you do it? You go to work and write all day, and then you come home and manage to cook a fabulous meal. You're like Super Wife or something. Maybe I could get you a cameo in the next Atomic County issue! I'll talk with Seth." Taylor smiled.

"Atomic County?" Aaron asked, looking up from his plate.

"Yeah," Ryan responded. "Have you ever read it?"

"I've read some of them. I read a whole bunch of them with this guy at school."

"Seth - my brother – writes it, or wrote it. I guess it's been a while since I talked to him about it." Ryan mumbled around a slice of beef.

"Cool," he responded forking his vegetables.

"Yeah, you're talking to Kid Chino."

"Seriously?" Aaron looked up.

"Seriously," Ryan smiled.

"Kid Chino is kinda my hero. But, he's nothing like you. I mean, no offense, but you're totally loaded and you live in this fancy house. Kid Chino is ---"

"From Chino? Rough and tumble? Yeah, believe it or not, he's based on me. I lived in Chino until I was fifteen. I did a lot of stupid things, got into a lot of trouble. Then, when I was really down on my luck, a really amazing family took me in. The Cohen's. Seth's family, who I are now my family. They afforded me some wonderful opportunities I would never have had." He looked at Taylor and smiled. She blushed.

Dinner was relatively silent from that point on. There was chitchat here and there, but nothing deep or terribly notable. After the peach torte was served and enjoyed, Ryan looked at Aaron. "How about another go at the Playstation?" The boy nodded and returned to the family room. Ryan helped Taylor clear the table.

"You're good with him," she said, nudging him.

"You think?"

"Yeah. He doesn't seem like an easy nut to crack, but you've gotten in a little at least. What's the plan?"

"Bring him to school in the morning, and go see his parents after that."

"What do you expect to find?"

"I don't know, Taylor. I really don't know. I know relatively little about the situation, but I'm prepared to stand up for this boy." Ryan placed a few plates in the dishwasher. "You know, what I do know, is how sexy you look in that apron."

"The apron turns you on?" She looked puzzled. "Do you have a Betty Crocker fantasy I should know about, Ryan?"

"No. The apron doesn't turn me on, you do. The apron just adds to the fun." He began to kiss her neck in soft pecks. His kisses sent tingles down her spine, they always had. She giggled a little. Ryan smiled. He knew she was ticklish. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, their movement around the kitchen ending with Taylor up against the refrigerator.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear, his hands smoothing over her soft hair.

"Ryan," she blushed. He'd gotten a lot better at saying that to her since they got married. It still made her weak in the knees. "Not that I don't love this, because I really do," he silenced her with a kiss on the lips. "But, Aaron is in there waiting for you," she finished after she caught her breath.

"I know," he smiled.

----------

After dropping Aaron off at school, Ryan proceeded to the address that Aaron had given him. It was a decent house, by no means good, but not quite as ramshackle as one might have imagined. He shut the driver side door of the Range Rover behind him and walked cautiously up the cracked sidewalk. He knocked three times. No answer. He knocked again. No answer. It didn't really look like anyone was home. He tried once more. Still no answer. He sighed. He really had hoped that he could help Aaron get back to his home. He had hoped that it was all a misunderstanding. It was beginning to look like that was not the case.

Ryan retraced his steps back to the Range Rover and headed to work.

----------

"Jen, this sucks!" Taylor plopped down next to her close friend and co-worker.

"What's up," the tall, slightly wider framed brunette asked.

"I just want to go into Melinda and say, "No, I will not write an article about the rise of shoe culture in America!" What happened to hard-hitting news stories?"

"Taylor, this isn't The New York Times. It's The Berkeley Daily Planet, you know that?"

"I know. I can handle of few of these pieces, but that seems like it's all I get anymore."

"Don't you freelance for anyone else? Or if you have so much to say, write a book?"

"You're not helping, Jen." Taylor rested her chin on her hands and sighed.

"Taylor, you're writing is great. I wouldn't mind reading what you have to say about shoe culture in America. It's all about where you go with a piece." Jen smiled, patting her friend on the back.

"You are absolutely right, Jen. This is going to be the best damn shoe culture piece, ever! An expose of America's obsession with shoes. I'll call it, "Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!" It'll be amazing."

"Whoa! Honey, don't jump off the deep end just yet. Write something fun. You'll figure it out." She sipped her coffee and walked out of the room.

Jen was right. Taylor nodded her head, acknowledging her own determination towards the piece. She was Taylor Atwood, awesome journalist, loving wife, all around adorable human being. She was capable of this.

----------

"I had to take off early today, Brad. I'm sorry. I'll be in first thing tomorrow morning." He shut his phone and repeated the process from this morning. It still didn't look like anyone was home. He knocked three times, loudly.

A moment later, a man appeared at the door who was slightly overweight, unshaven and looked to be about forty-five. "Who are you?" He asked through the screen door.

"I'm Ryan Atwood. I met your son Aaron yesterday. I'm worried about him."

"Well, I'm not. He's not my problem anymore. Kid was nothing but trouble."

"Actually, sir, he is your problem. He's your child. What could he have done that was so bad that he got kicked out?"

"Getting in fist fights at school everyday, stealing things from convenience stores, graffiti. He's been brought home by the cops more times than I can count in the last month."

"Did you ever think about why?" Ryan asked. _How could he not see the reason?_

"He's a little hooligan, that's why! Now, get off my property."

"You can't just let the boy wander the streets alone. Aaron is staying at my house," he slid his business card through the crack in the door. "If you decide you care, I'll be available."

----------

Ryan pulled up to the rundown public school in the Range Rover. He scanned the meager crowd for Aaron. He had told him to wait here for him, regardless of what happened with his parents. Ryan spotted him sitting on the curb almost a block down from where he had parked. He got out and walked down to him. He sat down next to him.

"You talk to my Dad?"

"I did talk to your Dad, Aaron."

"I told you. He doesn't care."

"He said you've done some things that have made him pretty angry at you, breaking laws, stealing things, getting into fights. Is this true?"

Aaron nodded.

"Why," Ryan asked.

"I don't know. I guess, I thought maybe he'd start to pay attention to me." He replied. "Those kids at school weren't something I asked for. They started it. I just finished it. If there's one thing I've learned from my Dad, it's that you don't trust nobody. You gotta look out for yourself. So, I did." He shrugged.

"Aren't you worried about jail? Punishment?"

"Why should I be? My only other option is living with my Dad, and he doesn't even want me. It pretty much doesn't matter anymore."

"You've got a choice, now." Ryan turned to face him. "Since you don't want to go back with your Dad, you can go back on the street where I found you. Fend for yourself, after all, can't trust nobody. Or, you can come back with me. I'm not saying it would be forever, but I still want to help you. I don't want to see you out on the street. I know this road your about to walk down, remember? I know what I'd choose if I were you. It's up to you."

Aaron stared at the gravel for a few very, very long moments. Then he looked up. "I like your house. Your wife makes good food. I could give it a shot." He almost smiled.

"Come on, let's go." Ryan patted his back.

----------

"Seth! Summer!" Taylor embraced them both. "What are you guys doing here?"

"It's Sandy's birthday this weekend," Summer began.

"So we flew down to celebrate," Seth finished.

"That's right! Sandy's birthday is this week. Wow, time flies so fast sometimes." She smiled. Then she saw little Grace and Joshua Cohen, two adorable brunette children who both stood about two and a half feet off the ground. They had been so quiet that she hadn't noticed them. "Well, hi!" She squealed with delight. "Aren't you two looking as adorable as usual?" Taylor fiddled with the buttons on Grace's small, stylish jacket. Summer certainly knew how to dress a little girl. She was such a hip kid. Joshua, who of course, took after his father, was less than pleased to be fawned over, though he stood respectfully by and did not make a fuss.

"Can we come in Auntie Taylor?" Gracie's big brown eyes stared up at Taylor.

"Oh my, of course. I'm sorry." She giggled, opening the door wide enough for them to come in.

"Ryan home?" Seth asked.

"He should be in a little bit. I guess that all depends on Aaron though."

"Aaron?"

"Did you have a kid and not tell me, Taylor?" Summer joked.

"Goodness, no!" She smiled, reminded again at the thought of Ryan being the father of her children. "Why don't you all come into the living room and I'll tell you the story."

----------

"Taylor!"

"Ryan, I'm in living room. There's a surprise waiting for you, in here."

"Oh, Taylor. I'm sure whatever it is, is lovely. I'm not really in the mood for surprises." He shut the door.

"Just come in here," she shouted back. He could tell from the tone of voice that she was smiling. Aaron followed him into the living room.

"Surprise!" Seth exclaimed.

"Hey, buddy. Didn't expect to see you here," Ryan hugged Seth. Since Summer and Seth had moved to Connecticut they hardly saw each other. "Hi, Summer," he said, hugging her.

"It's Dad's birthday party, remember?" Seth replied.

"Yeah, I've been a little preoccupied." He added.

"Uncle Ryan!" Gracie rushed to give him a hug. He squatted down and scooped her up. "Uncle Ryan, I missed you."

"Gracie Cohen, I missed you too. Did you know you get cuter every day." She smiled. "Give me five, Josh." Ryan stuck out his hand and Joshua slapped it and smiled.

"It's so good to see you guys," Taylor chimed in, coming to Ryan's side. He wrapped his free arm around her waist and kissed her.

"So, you've been preoccupied, huh?" Seth asked.

"Yeah, work, and other things." He replied.

"Taylor filled us in," he smiled, glancing over at Aaron, who by now was feeling a bit left out. A feeling he was quite used to, thankfully. "Well, well, well. No wife beater?" He whispered to Ryan. He nodded and made a move towards Aaron. "I'm Seth, Ryan's brother. You're Aaron, right?"

----------

A/N: Well, I apologize for how long that took me. I also apologize that for the fact that future updates will probably take as long if not longer. Darn college. :P Reviews and comments are love. Thanks so much for reading!


	3. Brotherhood

Author's Note: OMG! Three months later. I am so sorry about how long this took (and its shortness). I have been rather uninspired on what to do with this story, but I managed this. I know it has been a while since the finale but I hope I still have some readers. :P

Comments, suggestions and reviews are heartily welcomed.

------

"Happy Birthday!"

"Well, this is a surprise," Sandy Cohen feigned shock and dismay. He did it well. He smiled and hugged the first person he encountered, Seth.

"Dad, it's hardly a surprise, we've done this every year since Ryan and I went off to college. You don't have to pretend anymore."

"Sure I do!" He replied, releasing Summer from a hug. "It's all part of the way things happen. I like them this way." He paused a moment to reconsider his response. "I mean, who's pretending?"

"Grandpa!" Gracie exclaimed, running out from behind her mother. Sandy reached down and scooped her up in a huge hug.

"Well, Gracie Cohen, how are you? You've gotten so big since the last time I saw you. How old are you now?"

"I'm fowa," she replied as she held up the appropriate, four fingers. Gracie was the standard of all adorable children for Sandy. She was the perfect mix of Seth and Summer. Precious like his little Seth had been and beautiful just like Summer. He was a happy Grandpa.

"That's awfully big," he replied setting her down and kneeling to be at eye level with Josh. "What's up, big man?"

"Happy Birthday," Josh replied, wrapping his little arms as far as he could around Sandy's neck. Sandy returned the gesture.

"Kirsten! My beautiful wife! What a party! The whole family is here." He kissed her soft pink lips. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she smiled. It was nice to see Sandy happy. He'd been happier than ever teaching at Berkeley. Sophie was standing by her mother's side.

"Happy Birthday, Dad," she beamed up at her father, he face glowing bright. The sparkle in her eyes rivaled only by the bright blonde hair she had inherited from her mother.

"Well, thank you, Sophie!" He hugged her. She kissed him on the cheek. He could hardly believe how big she was getting. She was almost ten.

"Ryan," Sandy greeted, shaking his son's hand before wrapping him into a hug too.

"Sandy," Ryan smiled and nodded. "Happy Birthday."

"Oh, happy birthday, Sandy!" Taylor squealed a little as she received her hug.

"Thank you, Taylor," Sandy replied with a smile. He was very fond of Taylor. "Who is this? A new member of the family that I wasn't informed about?"

"Sandy, this is Aaron," Ryan replied, placing his hand on the boys back. Aaron looked up, attempted a smile and extended a hand to shake.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Aaron."

"Aaron is stay with us at the moment," Taylor began to explain.

"Think, Ryan Atwood 2012," Seth interjected.

"What, no wife beater?" Sandy replied jokingly.

"That's what I said, Dad!" Seth exclaimed, shooting an _I told you so_ look at Ryan.

"Let's cut the cake!" Kirsten suddenly interjected.

"Yes, I'll help. Come on, Summer," Taylor replied, grabbing her friend by the hand and pulling her into the kitchen behind Kirsten.

"Excuse us for just a second, Aaron." Sandy motioned for Ryan to follow him into the entryway. "So, what's this all about?"

"I was leaving a job site the other day, Sandy. He was just sitting there by the payphone looking depressed and down on his luck. I thought maybe I could help him," Ryan paused. "Like you did for me."

Sandy smiled. He was very proud of Ryan. He'd taken every opportunity that had come his way. He had made the most of those opportunities. He was a hard worker, a good husband and a damn good son.

"I went to see his parents, well, parent. Didn't want to have anything to do with him." He looked around a moment. "Do still have friends at social services?"

"I thought you wanted to help this kid?"

"Well, I do. I just don't think I could ever be Sandy Cohen, you know? I haven't really gotten through to him; it's been a few days. I've still got too much Ryan Atwood in me. Or maybe it's the eyebrows. I don't think I'll ever quite match their power," he ran his hands over his own, normally sized eyebrows.

"You've got all the Sandy Cohen you need and more. You took this kid in, which is more than most people would do. Don't chicken out now, just when you could be making a break through. Believe me, if you can make a difference, you don't want to miss out on the reward." He smiled.

"Thanks, Sandy." Ryan nodded. He'd have to talk to Taylor about a new strategy for getting in.

"Just in case," he pulled out a card and scribbled a number on it with his ballpoint pen. "I do still have a few friends."

"Thanks," Ryan replied with a smile. The two embraced.

"Now let's see about rustling up some of that cake, huh?" Sandy wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder and the two made their way to the kitchen.

Sophie tugged on Aaron's sleeve. She looked up at him. "Are you my cousin now?" Her question was innocent.

"Um, kid. I don't know. I'm just here," he replied. He gave off the _too cool for this_ attitude.

"I hope so," Sophie replied. "I like you," she smiled.

Aaron didn't exactly know how to respond, but she was so innocent and young that he didn't want to hurt her feelings. "Thank you," was his response.

Josh came bounding up behind Sophie. "Wanna play with us?" His question was directed at Aaron.

"What are you playing?"

"I have cars and Grace and Sophie have dolls. We could even play video games!" Josh was clearly excited to have a male playmate.

"Aren't you a little young for video games?" He cocked his head to the side.

"Nah," he replied. Aaron considered another moment and looked over at all the adults eating cake and celebrating. There wasn't exactly much else to do. Plus, they seemed to really want him to.

"Sure, let's go," he replied.

A few minutes later, Sandy looked over to where the kids had been. There he saw Aaron was playing cars with Josh, who looked incredibly happy. Sandy tapped Ryan on the shoulder and he turned his attention to him. "Looks like you may have less trouble than you thought," he smiled and pointed to Aaron.

"Oh, it's like a whole new generation," Seth interrupted. Ryan looked at him. "Wanna play Grand Theft Auto?" Seth laughed and Ryan just smiled.

"You laugh, but those words meant a lot in the long run."

"They were the beginning of a beautiful friendship," Seth replied.

"A brotherhood," Ryan corrected, patting him on the back. Both smiled as their wives looked on, proudly. Sandy wrapped his arm around Kirsten and kissed her forehead. He had a good feeling about this. He really did.


	4. Easing In

"Ryan," Taylor murmured as she snuggled close to her husband. The two lay sprawled out under the sheets, both on the edge of sleep.

"Yes, Taylor?"

"You love me, right?"

"Of course, I do, Taylor. More than anything else in the world. Why?" He opened his eyes to look at her.

"I want to have a baby, Ryan," she whispered, the tone of her voice slightly sad.

"Taylor, can we talk about this in the morning?" He closed his eyes and moved a little to get comfortable.

"No, I really mean it, Ryan. I want a little girl like Gracie to dress up in little dresses and hats. I want to be responsible for a little, beautiful bundle." Taylor sat up, turned on the bedside lamp and crossed her arms.

"Taylor, we've been over this before. I thought we decided we weren't ready for this."

"I want something to share with you, forever. Something that is a little of both of us. I want to be able to look at my child and proudly say, "Yes, I see a little of your daddy in you." Ryan, don't you want that?"

He was up now. This was too important to blow off just because he was tired. "Of course I do." He found her hand and laced his fingers between hers. "I want to go to spelling bees and school pageants and say, "look, there's my daughter, my beautiful daughter. I'm so proud of her." Of course I want to share that with you."

"Then why have you said no, all this time?"

"Taylor, we are still young. You know what kind of a commitment having a child is. I don't know if I am prepared for that, honestly."

"What about Aaron? He's here. You seem prepared enough for him."

"Taylor, sweetie that is different."

"No, it isn't Ryan."

"I guess not," he nodded, realizing just how upset she was about this. The room was silent for a moment. "I am just a little worried sometimes about the kind of father I'd be. Aaron is one thing, but my own child is something else all together. I didn't exactly have a great biological example. I don't want to do that to my kids."

"Ryan, you are great with him. Seeing you with him that first day made me wish that we had one of our own, you know? I believe you'll be a great father." Taylor sighed and paused for a long moment. "Maybe I'm overreacting or being selfish, but sometimes I worry we'll wait too long, or I won't be able to have one for some reason. Ryan, I just don't want to miss out. I love you." Her eyes were sad.

"To tell you the truth, it's more me being selfish," he replied.

"What do you mean?" She turned inward to him.

"I am scared about being a bad father but truth be told, I want you all to myself for as long as possible," he smiled. He leaned in and kissed her in short, affectionate pecks.

"Ryan," she blushed. He silenced her with his finger on her lips.

"Don't say anything else. If it is important to you, Taylor, let's do it. More than anything, I want you to be happy. I know I want to have kids, I was just hoping for a few more years alone." He shrugged. "Plans change."

"Are you sure?" She smiled.

"Yes, Taylor. I'm sure. If you have problems like this, you need to come to me. I want to be there for you, I want us to work things out together." She nodded. "I love you, Taylor Atwood."

"I love you, Ryan Atwood."

Ryan lay back down on his side and opened his arms. She slid down, his warm skin smooth against her own. His arms encircled her and she sighed. Taylor felt safe and reassured. It was good to have finally brought it up. Gradually, their breathing became tandem and they fell asleep.

---------

"Aaron, are you ready?" This had become routine. It was convenient for Ryan to bring him to school as it was on his way to work. Aaron took one more bite of Reese's cereal, grabbed his bag and met Ryan at the door. He nodded and brushed past him. Aaron hadn't opened up a lot more over the past few weeks, but he was getting there. Ryan had been back over to see his father – who still didn't care – and threw a box of Aaron's things at him. Aaron had more or less come to stay, though they hadn't formally discussed it yet. He was doing better in school – or so they assumed – he hadn't gotten or given any black eyes. Ryan and Taylor were thankful for that fact. He followed the boy out the door, closing it behind himself.

Taylor walked into the kitchen and saw Aaron's mostly empty cereal bowl and the comics section of the paper strewn out on the counter. She smiled and began to clean it up. To tell the truth, Taylor was glad to have Aaron around the house. It gave her an excuse to buy sugary cereal that Ryan wouldn't have wanted in the house before. Even though he rarely spoke to her, he made her feel useful. She thought of it as chance to practice mothering her own children. She'd been talking to Kirsten lately about how she had gotten close to Ryan. Taylor was really hoping to have a successful heart to heart with Aaron soon. It was hard for her to imagine being in his situation. Even if her mother had been hard on her, somewhere in the back of her mind she knew her mother would always love her and care about her.

---------

"Atwood's," Aaron greeted as he answered the phone.

"Aaron?"

"Yes," he replied. "Is this Seth?"

"Wow, you have great ears, kid. Yes, it is. Is Ryan home?"

"Nope, he went out to finish up some emergency project."

"Okay," he replied.

"Do you want to leave a message or something?"

"Nah, I'll just call back later."

"Seth?"

"Yes?"

"You write Atomic County, right?"

"Yep. However, I'm decidedly less involved than I used to be. I kinda traded it for my wife. Zach works on most of it now. I get plenty in royalties, however. Why?"

"No reason, I suppose. Ryan just mentioned that you wrote it."

"You a fan?"

"I read a few," Aaron toned down his enthusiasm. "It's good, I like Kid Chino."

"Very cool," Seth responded. He sensed the awkwardness in Aaron's voice. He really was just like Ryan, never wanting to seem to into anything. "Well, I'll call Ryan back later."

"I'll tell him you called," Aaron added.

"Thanks," he replied. "Bye, Aaron." Seth hung up the phone.

---------

"How's the new article coming," Melinda popped her head around the corner and into Taylor's modest but cute office.

"It's coming along just fine," she smiled.

"How about things with your family, are they good? I hear you and Ryan have taken in a foster boy."

"More or less, yes," Taylor nodded. "We're good. Thanks for asking," she replied with a smile. Taylor was a little alarmed by how kind her boss was being. It was quite unusual. She sighed and stared back at the screen on her laptop. The little cursor blinked repeatedly on a mostly blank word processor document.

After a few moments of staring fixedly at the screen, she picked up her shiny black phone and dialed a familiar string of numbers. The phone on the other end rang once, twice, three times.

"Cohen residence," a cheery voice answered.

"Summer, I'm so glad I caught you."

"Hi Taylor, how is everything?"

"Oh, it's fine. Not exactly all sunshine and daisies but I suppose we can't ask for perfect now, can we? I mean you and Seth aren't always perfect, right? That's just silly," Summer cut her off.

"Taylor! Focus. What's going on?"

"Nothing. Okay, that's not true. You remember how Ryan and I had decided that we didn't want to have kids for a while, right? Well, Since Aaron came, I've been thinking more about that decision and I've realized I really do want to have children of my own. Sooner rather than later."

"Have you talked to him, Taylor?"

"Yes, and he was really, really sweet about it. I think he saw how emotional I was about it and realized the importance of this to me. I just really want to have his children, you know. I love him."

"I know," Summer replied. "It sounds like everything is fine."

"It's better now. He knows and we've agreed to try. I just called to talk to you about that and ask you what it's like to be a mother. Do you have any motherly advice? I mean, Aaron is here and I've been talking with Kirsten, but you're my best friend and a mother. I thought I would give you a chance to impart your wisdom upon me." Taylor smiled, Summer could tell by the change in tone of her voice.

"Well, Tay, I think my advice will be of very little help at this point since I've never been the mother of a troubled fourteen year old. However, I'll give you what I've got."

"Thanks, Sum," Taylor smiled and listened intently.

---------

"I'm home!"

"Hi Mr. Atwood," Aaron shouted in reply. Ryan rounded the corner and came into the kitchen. He set a small bag and his briefcase down on the island in the center of the kitchen.

"How many times have I told you that you can feel free to call me Ryan, Aaron?"

"Quite a few, I guess. It's just sorta hard to get used to." Aaron pulled a piece of lettuce out of a bag and set it next to some carrots on a plate.

"Well, try, okay? I only use Mr. Atwood with older business partners." He looked around cautiously. "Is Taylor home?"

"No, she's still at work. Why?" He replied, closing the fridge.

"Well, it's our anniversary in a few days and I got something for her. I didn't want her to know about it."

"What did you get?"

"This really gorgeous bracelet she'd been looking at for a while now."

"Cool," he replied.

"What are _you _doing," Ryan asked, just now realizing that Aaron had carrots and lettuce on a plate. "That's not much of a sandwich."

"I'm not making a sandwich. I'm feeding Flapjacks. My room is one door down from that poor bunny and he just stares at me every time I walk past as if he never gets fed."

"That's because he doesn't," Ryan smiled and laughed a little. "Taylor and I aren't around as much as we should be. Thanks buddy." He patted him on the back. "I'll follow you up there." They were silent most of the way up the stairs. "How was school?"

"It was fine," he replied.

"Haven't gotten into any fights that I should know about?"

"No, I haven't. I told you, I don't start them."

"I know, you just finish them," Ryan completed his sentence. "Something I would have said. You're just like me when I was your age. Though, I did start my fair share of fights if I'm honest."

Aaron fed flapjacks a carrot and Ryan ripped the piece of lettuce and waited for his turn. Flapjacks was visibly happy for the attention.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Seth called a few hours ago."

"Thanks," Ryan replied. He looked at Aaron sideways for a moment. "Are there any girls at your school?" Aaron looked up at him, half smiled and scoffed. "I'm serious. Are there any girls you are interested in? You can tell me."

"Ryan," Aaron paused at the awkwardness of using his first name, "I don't really wanna talk about it." He left the carrots in the cage for Flapjacks and headed back down the stairs.

"Come on, I can help you out. Pull some strings, maybe? I know people around here."

"You are almost as bad as Taylor," he replied. "She keeps asking me about that stuff too."

"Well, it's something we know about. We just wanna help." He smirked as they entered the kitchen again and walked into the living room.

"There are plenty of girls, but none of them care about me so I don't care about them. End of discussion."

"Alright, but seriously. You let me know and I'll hook you up."

"Fine," Aaron replied, turning on the TV and sinking into the couch.

"What do you say to pizza tonight? I doubt Taylor will be home for dinner," Ryan added.

"Sure, sounds good."

"Great," Ryan smiled realizing he'd gotten in just a little after that conversation. Aaron was starting to trust him. "What toppings do you want?" He asked, phone in hand.

---------

Author's Note: Thanks so much for reading! This was really long (compared to the last chapter). I thought about splitting it into two pieces but I decided not to. I've tried to make this chapter a little more dynamic. The main characters from the show (Seth, Ryan, Summer and Taylor) are physically separated at this point - being on different sides of the country - that it has been hard to find reasons for them to interact, but I am working on it. Hope you enjoyed the Ryan/Taylor scene, as that is supposed to be the heart of this story. Any feedback and suggestions for future storylines are immensely appreciated. Reviews love. I write for the readers, not myself. So let me know how I'm doing and what I can do better.


	5. Never Let A Good Thing Go

"Aaron?" Taylor was in the kitchen getting dinner ready.

"Yeah," He looked up from whatever videogame he happened to be immersed in.

"Could you come make a salad for me? Ryan will be home any minute and I'm in the middle of prepping the beef roast." If there was one thing Taylor had learned about Aaron in the time he had been with them, it was that he wasn't half bad in the kitchen, sort of a natural she supposed.

"Sure, just a second," he replied, finishing the action he had been in the middle of and turning the console off.

"So, how was school?" Aaron opened the large refrigerator and pulled out some romaine hearts, a bag of carrots and the dressing.

"It was fine. It's nearly the end of the quarter so that's a relief at least." He got a bowl out of the pantry, along with two wooden spoons to toss with.

"Don't you like school, Aaron? My high school years were some of the best years of my life. I was super-involved and really popular. It was great."

"Not really. I'm not exactly Mr. Popular. I really hate it when the guys rag on me for my shitty family. My Dad, that is."

"You do have friends, right? Haven't things calmed down since you've been here with us?"

"I guess there are a few guys I can hang out with at school, but I don't really." He pulled a knife from the wooden block and chopped the baby carrots into strips. "And yeah, I guess things have been a little better since I've been living here with you guys. I mean, I know they have but it doesn't really matter. The damage has been done."

"Hey, Aaron," Ryan placed his strong hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Well, hi Ryan! I didn't even hear you come in." She leaned over to give him a few kisses.

"How are you doing, Aaron?" Ryan shuffled through the mail which lay strewn on the opposite counter, discarding credit card offers and other advertisements.

"Fine," he replied, not looking up from his salad making. Ryan glanced up at Taylor and she smiled widely at him. It reassured him that he shouldn't be worried about Aaron's lack of a forthcoming response.

The phone rang.

"I'll get it," Ryan immediately responded. "Hello," he replied picking up the receiver. "Yes, this is Mr. Atwood."

"Mr. Atwood?" Aaron mouthed at Taylor, a puzzled expression washing over both their faces. No one called him Mr. Atwood except really, really important people. They watched as Ryan nodded and spoke positive reassurances into the phone. His eyes were on the floor.

"I understand. I'll be down there soon." He sighed, ran his hand over his face and through his hair, and hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Taylor stopped what she was doing and walked over to him, touching his arm reassuringly. He grasped her hand, gently but firmly in return.

"That was a deputy down at the police station. Aaron's dad is in custody and wants to talk to me."

"But you aren't a lawyer, Ryan." Aaron was noticeably frustrated though not surprised that his Dad was in trouble.

"I assume he wants to see me to talk about you."

"Do you have to go now? You just got home." Taylor looked a bit crestfallen.

"Unfortunately, yes. They wanted me there as soon as possible."

"Well, dinner will be waiting for you when you get home." She smiled, her naturally optimistic attitude returning.

---

Ryan sat down in the cold metal chair and stared fixedly at Aaron's father.

"I want my kid back," were the first words from his lips.

"I don't believe you are in a position to ask for that, Mr. Keppel."

"I don't care. He's mine."

"You're a pretty fair weather parent aren't you? When it's not good for you, you toss him out on the street and when you're in a tight spot you take advantage of him? That sucks. Guess what? Just because you like the tax write-off he earns you, doesn't make you a suitable parent. In fact, it makes you a really awful parent. Currently, you are facing some sort of jail time for drug possession. Do you really think that's a good environment for that kid? If you serve time he'll either go to his mom or foster care and considering you said she didn't want him either than he'll go into foster care."

"He belongs with me, Mr. Atwood," Keppel sneered.

"We'll see about that, Mr. Keppel. We'll see about that." Ryan got up from the folding chair and walked out of the police station. Mr. Keppel yelled and cursed at him, but the guards restrained him from following Ryan.

---

Ryan spent most of the ride home furious about the exchange that he and Mr. Keppel had shared. What had he gotten himself into? He wasn't sure, but he had a feeling it wasn't going to be easy to get out of. Things had been going so well with Aaron. These last few weeks he'd really been coming around, being more social. He was really becoming fond of the kid. He knew either this would deliver the killing blow to their relationship or it would be just the strength it needed. That was the positive outcome. He intended to do everything to see his way through to the positive outcome. Sighing, Ryan pulled out his cell phone and hit speed dial one.

"Seth. Hey, do you think there is any way you could score three VIP tickets to comic con?"

---

He'd just arrived home. It was late. He was still particularly shaken by the events of the evening. After he'd left the station, he had just driven around aimlessly. He was barely conscious he was so distraught. He was lucid enough to drive, but that was all. His mind was elsewhere. When he finally snapped out of it, he looked at the clock and realized that just over three hours had passed since he'd left home.

Now here he was sitting at the dining room table, alone, in silence.

Taylor, who had been upstairs on the phone with Summer, heard him come in. She snuck down into the kitchen as quietly as she could. Putting on an oven mitt, she opened the oven and pulled out a plate full of food. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, she walked over to the table and placed the food and beverage in front of him.

He looked up at her and almost smiled. God, he loved his wife.

"I told you dinner would be ready for you," she whispered, smiling. She pulled out the chair across from him and sat down.

"I love you," he breathed out, meeting her gaze and reaching for her hand.

"I love you too, Ryan." She leaned forward and their lips met not once, not twice, but three times. "What happened tonight?" She didn't want to push him, but she also wanted to be there to listen if he wanted to talk about it. He took a moment, picked up his fork and began eating.

"His father wants him back. However, since he is facing jail time, that is not going to happen anytime soon. The state will try to place him back with his mother but according to his father, she walked out on them so I doubt she would be any better for him. That means he will be bounced from foster home to foster home. It's a miserable existence."

"Let's take him in. Officially."

Ryan was a taken aback by how quickly she offered that option. He wasn't even sure about it. He wasn't sure that Aaron would want to.

"Taylor, shouldn't we think about this more before we do it? I mean, this is a life we are talking about. I would prefer that he could be with his real family."

"Me too, but if they won't have him then we need to be that family to him." Taylor blinked a few times. "You once told me, Ryan, that family is the people that care about you, not just the people you are related by blood to. Sandy did it for you. I know you are worried about not being good enough at it, but I know you. You'll be great." Her tone was compassionate and loving.

"You are really on board with this? What about our baby? Won't that mess up our plans?"

She shook her head. "No, it will be different but it won't mess anything up."

"We'll ask him tomorrow then," Ryan smiled. "I'll do my best to sort things out legally. It won't be easy." Clearing his dishes, she returned to the table and grabbed him by the tie.

"Let's not think about all that now," she smiled slyly. He was still a bit worried, but as they made their way up the stairs, and into the bedroom he was glad for the diversion.

She pushed him down onto the bed and crawled on top of him, making certain to reach his lips and get him lost in her touch. She stopped a moment, laying her head down on the bed, facing the ceiling. Her chin rested on his left shoulder.

"You're a good man, Ryan Atwood," she uttered quietly. She pressed a few kisses into his neck. The closed his eyes and exhaled before capturing her lips roughly with his.

"Have I told you lately how much I love you? I don't tell you that enough."

She exhaled and smiled. "Yes, you have."

"You really are absolutely perfect. More than I could have ever asked for. I can't even,"

She literally blushed. Taylor thought Ryan was getting really good at the whole, "voicing his feelings" thing. She stopped him in mid-sentence. "You aren't half bad yourself," she giggled, snuggling closer to him.

"Is it after midnight yet?"

"Yep. It's almost one." Taylor replied, glancing at the clock. "Why?" Ryan rolled over to his side of the bed and reached into the side table drawer. He brought out a flat, rectangular black box and handed it to her.

"Happy Anniversary."

"Oh my God, Ryan. I totally spaced. I've been so busy with work and all of the stuff that happened last night. I didn't get you anything."

"It's okay, Taylor." He chuckled. She was so concerned for no reason.

"I can't believe you remembered. You are really amazing. You know that? I'm gonna get you something soon, okay? I know exactly what to get."

"Like I said, it's no big deal." He paused. "Well, are you gonna open it?"

"Yes," she exclaimed, shaking herself out of a daze. She carefully lifted the lid on the small box and revealed its contents. "Ryan, it is the bracelet I saw in that window. That was so long ago. How did you remember? I love it."

"I always remember things that are important to you, because they are important to me." He kissed the crown of her head.

---

"Hand it over."

"Hand what over?" Aaron's face was screwed up in a puzzled expression.

"Come on, you said it was the end of the quarter yesterday. In addition, I know enough mothers in this community. Where's the report card?"

"It's not ready yet. They don't hand them out until grades come in. Like two weeks after the end of the quarter. Honest."

"I guess I do remember that."

"You'll see it when I get it."

"I better," she smiled.

He set down his backpack and opened the fridge. "I'm gonna feed flapjacks."

"I always forget about that poor bunny these days. I'm so busy with work and cooking. Thanks for taking care of him, kiddo." She smiled and Aaron darted upstairs to feed the small rabbit.

"Well, I've been talking to Sandy's connections all day and I think we've worked it out." Ryan came walking into the kitchen a few minutes later.

"That's wonderful, Ryan. Aaron is upstairs feeding flapjacks."

"Oh that poor thing! How did it survive without him here?"

"I know. You promised to take such good care of it, too." She giggled.

"I did till I got busy. You know a real job and real responsibilities. That's my excuse."

"Hey Ryan," Aaron greeted him as he walked into the room.

"Hey Aaron, can you sit down for a minute? Taylor and I would like to talk to you."

Immediately, Aaron knew this was about his Dad. He hadn't asked much but Ryan had explained the situation. He complied.

Ryan inhaled deeply. "Aaron, you know the situation with your father. It isn't looking good for him. Posession rarely ends in anything other than jail time. Taylor and I have been discussing this and we were wondering if you'd like to stay with us officially, making us your 100 percent legal guardians."

He took a moment to let that settle in. Taylor looked on reassuringly.

"It is entirely your choice. You can go and live with your mom, if she will have you or you can go elsewhere in the foster care system. I've been this kid. Sandy is a lawyer, I've been talking with him and some friends who know law like the back of there hand. We can make this work if you want it to. So what do you say?"

Aaron looked down at his feet. This family had been so good to him. They had allowed him into their lovely home. He couldn't leave them now. He didn't want to live with his Dad in the first place. It's why he had left. It was the reason he'd even met Ryan. He'd even begun to feel very much at home. He'd come to really enjoy morning drives to school with Ryan, banter with Taylor and daily feedings with Flapjack. Seth was also really, really awesome. And that little blond girl who clung to him like white on rice. He didn't feel connected to them in the same way he would have if they were blood relatives, but he wondered if maybe he could. Of course, he didn't say any of this.

He nodded. "Yeah, I think I'd like that." He smiled.

Neither of them had seen Aaron smile like that since he had arrived. They could remember times here and there, but never as genuine a smile as this one. Taylor brushed Ryan's right hand with her left and laced her fingers through his, squeezing reassuringly.

---

Note: I know I promised this chapter was going to come quicker after the last one, but I've been busy at work and really uninspired. However, once I just sit down and force myself to write it seems to come out fine. I just need to do that more often. If you are reading this, THANKS FOR READING and please review. Remember, reviews are love. Any and all comments or suggestions are heartily welcomed.


	6. Two Weeks

A/N: It's been a long time, I do apologize. I'm not as dedicated to this as I'd like to be. Here is chapter 6. I hope you enjoy it. Please review and let me know what you think and waht you'd like to see. School is starting again so I don't know about updates. We will see how hard my class load is. :)  
---------------

"It's nice to be home," Ryan puffed, setting down his duffel bag and suitcase.

"Yeah, it is," Aaron echoed as they both collapsed onto the couch.

"I hate to admit it, but I think I'm getting to old for this Comic Con business. Geeking out really has an affect on a guy."

"Not Seth. It only gives him more energy. I thought he'd never quit dragging us to booths and introducing us to people and collecting swag. Seriously, he must have gone home with a whole suitcase full of free things. It was ridiculous."

"You had fun though, right?" Ryan looked over at the boy.

"Sure. It was really fun," he smiled.

"I hope Seth makes it home with all that junk." Ryan pictured the extra large suitcase that Seth had lugged to the airport.

"I don't know how Summer is gonna feel about that." Aaron replied, shedding his sweatshirt jacket to reveal a plain blue tee.

"The kids will love it! Foam Frisbees, lunch boxes, sample DVD's, and little trinkets of every size and shape possible."

"The question becomes, will they get anywhere near it?"

"Good point," Ryan agreed.

"Boys! You are home." Taylor exclaimed, carrying a full load of folded towels in her arms.

"Yes, we are," an exhausted Ryan replied. Taylor was pleased to see her husband and Aaron. They'd only been gone a few days, but she had missed them. She set the towels down on the dining room table and sat down on Ryan's lap.

"Hi," she smiled moving her face closer to his.

"Hi," he replied. She pressed her lips to his and he took the reins, kissing her mouth hard. Aaron rolled his eyes at the couple and turned on the TV in an attempt to ignore them.

------

Ryan was off earlier than normal the next morning to finish up some things at work so that he could leave early for Aaron's first custody hearing, so today, Taylor took Aaron to school or her way to work. The drive was sort of long and semi-quiet. Or at least it seemed long because it was quiet. Though he and Taylor got along well, Aaron wasn't in a talking mood this morning. Thankfully, California's most popular alternative rock station was entirely happy with filling up the awkward air between them.

"Have a good day. I'll be back to pick you up later."

"Thanks," he replied swinging his backpack over his shoulder and shutting the door.

As he walked away from the car a few of the guys from school caught up with him, Steve: a tall, lanky kid with dark hair who wore all black, Rick: a fairly tough looking guy, built lower to the ground and Tyler: the class criminal, the sort of kid who'd been in and out of juvie since he was over the age of 8.

"Who was the babe?" Tyler asked, patting Aaron roughly on the back.

"Yeah, she's a hottie. Got yourself a girlfriend there, Aaron?" Steve prodded.

"Actually she's my," he stopped himself. He'd almost called her his mom. What should he call her? Almost legal guardian? That seemed a little impersonal. "I'm staying with this family while things cool down with my Dad. She's Ryan's wife."

"Dad in jail again?" Rick - who had thus far been silent - asked.

"Sort of. I might actually stay with the Atwood's for good."

"Becoming a spoiled rich kid on us, huh? After all we've done for you?" The three had tolerated Aaron for quite a few years. Though he wouldn't have called them friends per se. They occasionally hung out but mostly they just tolerated him. He was useful to have around, or at least he used to be. They weren't exactly the greatest influence.

"I'm not bailing on you guys. I'm just changing families. It's not even for sure, yet."

"I'm having a party Thursday night while my parents are out of town. Think you can manage to make it?" Tyler asked.

"Probably," he replied.

"Great." Tyler smiled deviously at Rick and Steve.

------

"The preliminary hearing in Atwood vs. Keppel has now come to order." The judge smacked his gavel on the bench and sat down. "Now, Mr. Atwood, you are here to petition this court for legal adoption and guardian rights of Aaron Keppel, is that correct?"

"Yes, it is your honor."

"And why pray tell, should I be convinced to give you these rights, Mr. Atwood? Aaron has a father, Mr. Keppel." He gestured toward Aaron's father who sat opposite Ryan at a long table.

"Aaron came to me by way of an accident of sorts. I was leaving work a few months ago and Aaron was sitting by a telephone booth, sort of lost and lonely looking. I asked if he needed help. It turned out that Mr. Keppel has thrown Aaron out after getting in some fights at school and involving himself in a bit of minor theft. Aaron had nowhere to go and was planning to sleep on the street. I took him into my home, sir."

"Why did you do that, Mr. Atwood? You knew nothing about this kid."

"No, I didn't but I know the sort of kid I was at his age. You see, I was involved in a similar situation but it was my Mom and I instead of my Dad and I. Mom was an alcoholic who never really cared where I was or what I did. I got picked up by the cops for accessory to grand theft auto, thanks to my genius of a brother and I met Sandy Cohen. Thankfully I was still young enough to not get in any real trouble, but my mom didn't want anything to do with me after that. The Cohen's ended up taking me in and adopting me as their own. I know the luxuries and opportunities it afforded me, and you now see me where I am today. I've gotten to know Aaron and he really has a lot of potential. We'd like to give him some of the same opportunities I had. I am so grateful for what the Cohen's did for me."

"Sandy Cohen, hmm. Well, indeed Mr. Atwood it seems your intentions are most admirable."

"Mr. Keppel, do you have anything to say for your side of the case?"

"He's my son. My flesh and blood and no matter how big a pain in the ass he is, he belongs to me. I am responsible for him."

"I won't have that kind of language in my courtroom, Mr. Keppel. That's your son you're speaking about. Now, what do you say about these criminal charges filed against you?"

"I don't have anything to say about them, sir. They speak for themselves."

"Do you know what today is, Mr. Keppel?"

"No, I don't."

"It is your son's birthday, Mr. Keppel." The judge sighed. "Mr. Atwood, it appears the cards are beginning to fall in your favor. We will have a final hearing in two weeks. Adjourned." He smacked his gavel again and left the stand.

Ryan raced out of the courtroom and found the closest grocery store. He found a cake and some candles and a card. He pulled out his phone, pressed and held the number two. The phone at the Atwood's began to ring.

"Taylor baby, it's me. Guess what today is?"

------

"Is he here?" Ryan whispered sneaking into the kitchen with a few plastic bags.

"Yeah, he's upstairs. He's probably doing homework. Where's his gift? I'll wrap it." Ryan handed her a Playstation game and she kissed him on the cheek before she headed up to their room to wrap it.

Ryan shoved the cake into the fridge and hid a pail of ice cream in the freezer. Hopefully, Aaron would be too busy with homework to do any of the cooking this evening. Thankfully, that proved true and he did not come down until he was called for dinner by Taylor.

"Looks good," Aaron replied sitting down at the dinner table. He seemed noticeably distant to Ryan and Taylor. They ate their meal in relative silence.

"The preliminary hearing went really well today, Aaron. I think the judge knew Sandy. I think he really understood me so I'm hopeful for our next hearing. We'll know in two weeks if you can stay for sure."

"Great," Aaron nodded.

"That is still what you want, isn't it?" Taylor asked her eyes sympathetic and soft.

"Yes."

"I'll clear. Ryan will you help me?" Ryan nodded and smiled at his gorgeous wife.

"I'm gonna go finish my homework," Aaron replied.

"No, stay here a minute we're not done talking about this custody issue." Ryan was stalling for time. "You know this is going to be a big change," he pulled the cake out of the fridge, which Taylor had adorned with candles and flicked a nearby lighter open carefully lighting each of the fifteen candles. "We want to be there for you and let you know that you can talk to us like we were your biological parents. I know how hard it can be when you don't have that connection. I was lucky, I had Seth." Taylor recovered the hidden present from the cereal cabinet. His back was to the kitchen so he was unaware that any of this was going on. They walked back towards the table.

"Happy Birthday, Aaron," Taylor exclaimed and Ryan set the flaming cake down in front of Aaron. A look of shock, happiness and confusion crossed Aaron's face.

"How did you know? I didn't think you'd have any way of knowing." He questioned.

"I didn't know until the hearing. The judge asked if your Dad knew what today was. He didn't remember."

"Yeah, clearly birthdays were never a priority with my Dad."

"I even got you a present on the way home this afternoon."

"We didn't have a lot of time to do this since I found out just this afternoon, but we wanted you to have something special on your birthday. Everyone deserves that. We wanted you to know that we care." Taylor handed him the wrapped gift.

"Thanks," he replied, his tone sincere and soft. He smiled at Taylor as he unwrapped the gift. A rip in the paper revealed it was a new video game.

"The guy at the game section said it was pretty cool, something about the most realistic tire to road physics." Ryan recalled.

"Thanks. I really don't know what to say." Ryan nodded, understanding. "Thanks. It means a lot." Aaron said nothing else.

"Blow out the candles and make a wish," Taylor sang, her blonde hair accented by the candle glow. Aaron took a deep breath in and extinguished them all.

Two weeks to the day, Aaron Keppel officially became a member of the Atwood family.


	7. The Way He Said It

Note: Well, three months later and I have returned. School has been absolutely crazy. I'm not exactly sure that I want to keep this story going. I think it had a pretty solid closing on the last chapter, but I'm going to see where this takes me.

----

**6 Months Later**

"Can I drive home, Ryan?"

"I don't see why not. That's what a permit is for, right?" Ryan threw him the keys to the Range Rover and Aaron smiled. Despite any trepidation that Ryan had initially had about Aaron getting his license, the kid was a pretty good driver. He was surprisingly cautious but he knew when to make his move. Nevertheless, he thought it prudent to still warn him. "Just be careful, okay? I don't want any dents in miss M, okay?"

"I know. I will." Aaron got in the driver's side and turned the key in the ignition. He signaled and left the parking spot beside the curb.

"So, how are things? How is life?" Ryan asked a few moments later.

"Things are fine. School is school. Not really my thing, but I can deal."

"Doing any better with your friends?"

"I guess so. I've always been a loner. Some of the guys on the football team invited me out tonight, but I don't know if I'll go."

"You should. Why not? I'm glad that joining the team has made a positive impact on you."

"When you suggested it, I wasn't so sure it would."

"I know," Ryan scoffed, his tone sarcastic and a smile spreading across his face.

"I do like it though. It's fun. I'm actually not bad. I think the ladies have started to take notice too."

"Oh, the ladies, huh?" Ryan force himself to stifle a laugh. _The ladies_.

"Yeah, you know, girls?"

"I know, Aaron. I'm keenly aware of what girls are. You, know that woman I'm married to?" He laughed. " They aren't aliens, you don't have to act like they are."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I haven't really ever been friends with a girl, much less dated one."

"You've never been friends with a girl?"

"I'm a loner, remember?"

"Aaron, I was a loner and even I ---" he stopped himself. "Is there a specific girl?" Aaron didn't say anything. "What's her name?" Ryan asked after a suitably awkward pause.

"Amanda."

"Cheerleader?" Ryan cocked his head to the side.

"Of course," Aaron replied.

"Alright. I was pretty smooth with the ladies in my day. Here's what you do ---"

---

"There," Taylor exclaimed aloud as she clicked the send button on her email. She'd just finished up a story and had sent it off to her editor. Surprisingly, she'd found that she liked working from home, at least she liked the ability to continue working in some capacity.

Checking her messages one more time before she signed off, she noticed there were two new messages. One was from Kirsten and the other from Summer. Excited to read them both, she clicked on Kirsten's and began to read.

_Taylor –_

_How are you? I know it's been awhile since we talked last. I'm so sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner._

_In response to your questions, things have been pretty great here. It is business as usual with Sandy and his job. He adores it, of course and the students adore him. Sophie is doing splendidly at school. She's so bright for her age and we are very proud of her. _

_Sophie and Sandy went to the shelter and picked out a dog last week, so we have a new addition to our family. His name is Buster. He's a big, shaggy dog. I'm not even 100 percent what breed he is, but Sophie loves him and plays with him all the time when she isn't at school. _

_Hope things are well with all the Atwood's – certain ones especially. Let me know._

_K_

Taylor smiled. She adored Kirsten. She decided she would reply later and clicked on Summer's message.

_Tay_

_What's up? I would have called you – I know email can be a little impersonal – but I'm pretty busy these days balancing taking care of Gracie and Josh and getting my boutique up and running. It's pretty much been non-stop._

_Seth is reading over my shoulder – he says hi. _

_How are things? I know how you must be feeling right now; it's an odd time. If you have any questions, you know you can always ask. I'm only a phone call away. If you call, I promise I'll make time, no matter what I'm doing. _

_You are amazing. Good luck!_

_XOXO_

_Sum_

Taylor swiveled her chair to the left and left the computer. She made her way to the kitchen where she pulled some lettuce out to chop for dinner. The smell of cookies filled the air. On a whim, she'd decided to make chocolate chip cookies. The idea of them sounded so good earlier. She figured Aaron wouldn't turn down a few homemade cookies when he arrived home from school, either.

---

The door opened and the boys entered the house. Though, it was large, there was no question that baking was occurring.

"Do I smell cookies?" Ryan asked, setting his briefcase down on the floor by the door, hanging his coat and loosening his tie. Aaron had already made his way into the kitchen as Ryan entered the room. Aaron grabbed a few, thanked Taylor and bounded up to his room.

"Yes, you do!" Taylor smiled, grabbing the last of the warm cookies with the spatula and placing it on the tray in the center island. He smiled. Taylor was a picture of radiance these days, not that she hadn't always been, but she was even more these past months.

"How are you," he whispered, running his hands through her hair and placing a few delicate kisses on her lips. His hand caressed her arms and moved down to the large bump in her abdomen. He knelt to speak to it.

"We're good," Taylor beamed. She still could scarcely believe they would be having their own child – a daughter – in just a few months. She had wanted this for so long. When she had found out she was pregnant, she was overjoyed.

Ryan placed his hand on the bump and lingered there a moment. His very own daughter. He'd fought the idea for a long time. He'd still felt too young for children but when Taylor announced her pregnancy he was glad and all confusion or doubt faded away.

He stood and kissed her again. Their lips parted, he rested his forehead against hers. They stood in silence for a moment, just looking into each others eyes. "I love you," he finally whispered. A blush covered her cheeks. Hearing him say that still made her weak in the knees, even after all this time. It wasn't so much the words, as the way he said it. It was so soft, so gentle, so loving. He was more than she could ever have asked for.

"I love you too, Ryan."

---

Note: It was short, but hopefully sweet. Reviews are love and are appreciated immensely.


	8. Welcome to the CT

"Do we have everything?" Ryan asked.

"I think so," Taylor replied, glancing at the three rather large suitcases which were resting by the front door. "Tickets?"

"Right here," he replied, pulling them out from his suit pocket. They shared a smile. "Aaron!" Ryan yelled up the stairs.

"Be down in a minute," Aaron's voice drifted down from his room on the second floor.

"Are you sure you are up to flying?" Ryan asked, holding onto the light sweater as Taylor slipped her arms into it. He lifted her long, golden hair up and on top of the sweater. His hands gently caressed her neck on the way down. She turned to face him, leaning in close to him – at least as close as she could these days.

"Of course I am, Ryan," she smiled, touching her stomach. She found his concern for her to be utterly adorable. He scrunched up his face ever so slightly when he asked questions like that. It was expression she'd quickly grown to love. He took both her hands in his and held them for a moment, silently. He leaned in and kissed her mouth hard, but not roughly. He didn't need to say anything; she understood.

"Ready," Aaron stated, bounding down to the bottom of the stairs where Ryan and Taylor were embracing.

"Great! Let's hit the road," Ryan said picking up two of the suitcases. "Can you grab that other suitcase, Aaron?" He gestured at it.

"Already got it," Aaron replied as he picked it up. Taylor shut the door behind them and they headed for the airport.

The plane ride to Connecticut seemed long to Taylor, but she had no intention of missing the opening of Summer's boutique. Seth and Summer had invited them to all come out and celebrate. It had been far too long since they had seen each other, so she had jumped at the chance. A week in the fresh air of Connecticut would be a welcome reprieve from the harshness of California's climate.

---

As the cab pulled up to the Cohen residence, Aaron was shocked at how positively huge it was. The home was a light blue, three-story colonial inspired building which looked to have a full-time gardener caring for the grass and shrubbery around it. At that moment, Summer opened the door, greeting the three travelers with a vivacious wave.

Taylor was the first out of the cab and ran up to great Summer with a forceful hug. "It's so good to see you!" Taylor exclaimed.

"It's great to see you too," Summer echoed. "My goodness, you are getting big. You are going to have to tell me the whole story."

"Didn't your parents explain this to you, Summer? When a man and woman really love each other," Taylor began.

"Tay!" Summer rolled her eyes.

"I'm only kidding," Taylor smiled. "Of course. I'll tell you all about it"

"Hi Ryan," Summer said, greeting her old friend with a hug. There had been a time that hugging Summer would have been the last thing he'd desired to do. Now it seemed weird not to. "Come on in," she added, opening the door wide. She smiled at Aaron who smiled back at her.

"Seth is lost in his drawings in the studio. He should be out soon."

"Where are Gracie and Josh?" Taylor inquired.

"Napping, thank goodness. I never thought I'd get them to calm down," she sighed, but smiled. "Come on in and sit down. Leave the bags." They all sat and Summer joined them. "Can I get you a drink or something to eat?"

All three shook their heads. "Thanks, though," Ryan smiled.

"So, I can't wait to hear the story!" Summer gushed. "My best friend has been pregnant for six months and I still haven't heard any of the details. Couldn't you pick up a phone or send an email?" She joked. "It's better this way anyway."

A beeping noise interrupted their conversation. It was Aaron's cell phone, which had been a gift from Ryan and Taylor. They knew he'd soon need it with his license. "Sorry," Aaron grimaced, turning the phone to vibrate. Summer just smiled.

"Amanda?" Ryan asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Maybe," Aaron smiled sheepishly. They were still just friends, but he and Amanda talked and texted quite a bit lately. Football season was over, but she found little reasons to call him or see him at school. Ryan patted him on the shoulder and smiled. He was growing up.

"Well, here's how the story goes. As you know, I found out at the end of July that I was pregnant. I decided not to tell Ryan for a little bit, because he had planned a special evening out for us on the 9th of August. We hadn't gone out that much since we got married and both got busy with our careers, so this felt like the perfect time to tell him."

Flashback

"This dinner is absolutely delicious, Ryan." She reached across the small, white linen covered table and touched his hand. He grasped it.

"I know that today isn't our anniversary or something incredibly important, but I want us to be able to enjoy ourselves every once and a while. I want you to know how much you mean to me." He paused. "I know taking in Aaron was a big decision, one that sort of jumpstarted our family and rearranged our lives quite a bit, but I'm so glad that you supported the decision. I realize how different things are for you because of him. You are really amazing." He smiled.

Later, they took a walk along the river front under a nearly full moon. She held his right hand with her left as they strolled silently. It was truly a gorgeous evening.

"Ryan," she asked.

"Yes," he looked over to her as they continued on.

"Remember earlier, when you talked about Aaron jumpstarting our lives?" She stopped and turned to face him.

"Mmhm," he nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"It was no problem. You know I've wanted to have a family with you for as long as we've been married. Aaron isn't our flesh and blood, but he's a great kid. And you're great with him. He looks up to you and can talk to you so easily these days." She paused a moment, locking her eyes with his. "You know I love Aaron, but now we get to have our own, for real," she beamed, placing his hands on her abdomen.

"You're pregnant?" Ryan looked genuinely shocked and excited at this discovery.

"I am," Taylor smiled. "I've known for a little over a week now."

"Taylor! Why didn't you tell me sooner? That's such great news." He grinned, picking her up and spinning her around as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I hoped you'd say that."

"Of course it is," Ryan responded. He brushed the hair from the side of her face and smoothed his finger down the length of it. "I mean, yeah -- it's a little scary, but very exciting." He kissed her lips repeatedly, in slow, gentle pecks. "I love you, Taylor Atwood."

End Flashback

"And that's how it happened. We told Aaron the next day and here we are now, a little over six months later." Taylor beamed.

"That's so cute," Summer gushed, hugging her. "I'm so happy for you."

"Hey guys, what did I miss?" Seth asked, emerging from a darkened hallway.

---

"Only the most adorable story ever," Summer looked up at her husband.

"Well, you know Dark Horse. A deadline is a deadline. They are working me to the bone."

"He's exaggerating; he loves his job." Summer corrected.

"I also love the pay," Seth elbowed Ryan in the side. Ryan smiled and shoved him back. It was like they'd never grown up.

"If he could, he'd divorce me and marry it instead. They'd have lots of line drawn babies." Ryan and Taylor gave each other a knowing glance. It was good to see some things hadn't changed.

"Now, that is categorically untrue, Mrs. Cohen." Seth wrapped his arms around her. "You know I love you more than anything in the world. That includes comic books." Ryan gasped, mocking Seth. Seth glanced over at Ryan. "Don't you start on me now! You just got here and you're already giving me lip? This is my house, Mister." Neither Ryan or Seth could keep a straight face.

"It's good to see some things never change," Taylor interjected, hugging Summer again.

Seth looked over at Aaron, who was just sitting there, quietly. Seth distinctly remembered times when Ryan and he had been the third wheel at parties with only adults before. It sucked. "How are you, Aaron?"

"I'm pretty good."

"School going okay?"

"Yep," Aaron replied.

"A man of few words. Much like someone I used to know a long time ago." He shot a glance at Ryan. "Girls?"

"I like 'em," Aaron replied.

"Good, good. Always good."

"Aaron is interested in this cheerleader. Her name is Amanda." Taylor smiled proudly.

"Cheerleader, aye? Not exactly the most low maintenance of models, but I suppose it could be worth it."

"Amanda's great. She actually has thoughts and life experiences, unlike lots of the other girls on the squad. Plus she's hot." Aaron voiced his opinion.

"Hot is important," Seth replied with a smile.

"Speaking of hot," Taylor cut in, "when is this special celebration happening?"

"Tomorrow evening at the boutique," Summer replied. "We'll have a nice, quiet evening tonight. I'll make dinner and we can all catch up. Then tomorrow evening the boutique will be the place to be.

"Can I help you cook?" Taylor cocked an eyebrow at Summer.

"Of course," she smiled.

"You wanna see where the magic happens," Seth tapped Aaron on the shoulder.

"I'd love to."

"Great." He patted Aaron on the back. Ryan followed them. "After dinner we'll break out the cards and knock back a few." Classic Seth Cohen sarcasm strikes again. Ryan just laughed.

---

"Well, here it is," Summer said as she pulled the keys out of the door and flipped a few switches just to the left of the front doors.

Summer's boutique was not exactly what one might expect the word "boutique" to mean. Her boutique was not a hole-in-the-wall in a strip mall. No. Her boutique was a 2,000 square foot space outfitted with sleek, modern displays for her designs and an all around gorgeous atmosphere.

"The comic book business must be treating you right," Ryan nudged Seth.

"It is," he nodded and smiled.

"Sum, it's gorgeous!" Taylor's eyes lit up as she took it all in.

"You think so?" Summer grinned proudly.

"It's great," Aaron replied.

"Wow. It must be pretty great," Summer replied jokingly.

"When does the party start?"

"The caterers are coming in half an hour and everyone arrives in about another hour after that," Summer replied.

"What can we do to help?" Taylor asked.

In the appropriate time, the guests arrived and Summer got to use a ridiculous large pair of scissors to cut a ridiculously large ribbon.

Ryan and Taylor just stood watching. Ryan wrapped his arm around Taylor's waist and kissed her cheek.

"Champagne?" A waiter asked, offering a tray of sparkling beverages.

Taylor shook her head and touched her stomach. Ryan grabbed a glass and nodded.

"That's really too bad," Ryan pursed his lips after taking a sip. "I know how much you love champagne."

"The things you give up for the people you love," Taylor smiled.

"Well, more for me." She playfully smacked him on the shoulder and he pulled her closer. "Can I get you something without alcohol in it? I'm sure there is something I can rustle up around here."

"A lemon soda water would be great. Or just water. Whatever you can find without alcohol or caffeine." Ryan kissed her and made his way out to find something for her to drink.

The place was fairly full of people as her maneuvered around people to the bar that was across the room. Ryan reached the bar and ordered a lemon soda water for Taylor.

He turned to bring it back to her when suddenly, he collided with a woman going the other direction across the crowd. What was left of his champagne shot out of the glass and up into the air. Luckily the soda water remained unscathed.

"I'm sorry," he stammered. He looked up and offered his handkerchief to help her dry herself.

"No, it was my fault," she sighed.

Her light red/blonde hair and her smile were so familiar but he couldn't put his finger on who she was at first. "Lindsey?" He exclaimed.

"Ryan?"

"Yeah, wow." He breathed. "I didn't think I'd ever run into you again. Here of all places. What are you doing here? How have you been?" Ryan was rambling. It always happened when he ran into ex's. Especially in such awkward situations.

"I've been good. Well, you know I moved to Chicago. I spent two years there and then I went to NYU. After that, I got engaged and moved out here to Connecticut."

"How do you know Summer? I mean -- " he stammered "other than the fact that you knew her in California? You didn't stay in touch with her, did you?"

"No," she smiled at his flustered demeanor. "I'm covering the opening for the magazine I work for. I'm an editor and writer for Connecticut Magazine. Summer's opening is actually pretty big news. I haven't had the guts to go over and say hi. Plus, she's pretty much been busy all night."

"Yeah," he agreed, gesturing with his hand. Lindsey nodded. There was an awkward silence. "So, you got married?" 

"I'm actually still just engaged."

"Is he here? What's his name?" 

"Robert, and no, I didn't bring him." Lindsey replied. "What about you?" She noticed the ring on his left hand. "Married, huh?"

"Yeah, and expecting." Ryan smiled. "Maybe you remember her. Taylor Townsend? Social chair at Harbor?"

Lindsey looked a little shocked. "Really? I never would have pegged you two for a couple."

Ryan scoffed. "I wouldn't have either, but she changed quite a bit after you knew her. She's great. Do you wanna come and meet her again?"

"Well, I should probably do some reporting on the scene, you know? Maybe talk to Summer?"

"Sure," he nodded.

"It was good seeing you, Ryan. You look great. The years have treated you well. Taylor is a lucky girl," she said reminiscently.

"Thanks. You look good yourself."

"I'll see you around," Lindsey waved. Ryan waved back. He maneuvered back through the crowd and managed to spot Taylor who had moved within the crowd.

"Here you go, sweetie," he said, handing her the lemon water.

"Thank you."

"You'll never guess who I just ran into," Ryan interjected, grabbing a new glass of champagne from the passing waiter while discarding his empty glass.

"Who?"

"Lindsey Gardner."

"Your ex-girlfriend? The one who is related to Kirsten?"

"Yep," he replied, taking a swig of his drink. "One and the same."

---


	9. Girl Troubles

It was a lazy Saturday at the Cohen home. Though it was nearly noon, the occupants had just woken up.

"Who wants pancakes?!" Ryan exclaimed, as he whirled around from the stove, wielding a spatula, an unexpected light in his eyes.

"I do! I do! Uncle Ryan," Gracie shouted, bouncing up and down in her tall seat across the kitchen island.

"Me too," Josh agreed. Taylor just nodded and smiled widely, sighing contentedly. She gently touched her bulging abdomen.

"You can cook? Not once have I seen you cook, Ryan. It's always been, Taylor who cooks. Who taught you how to cook?"

"Well, I like to keep a few tricks up my sleeve," Ryan responded. "Don't want you thinking you've got me all figured out already, Aaron. In all seriousness though, I was alone a lot as a kid. My mom was always," he paused and remembered the presence of the two small children. "Mom was always – sick. So, I made breakfast for myself most of the time, and some for her if she felt better. Pancakes and bacon were my specialties." Aaron understood.

"What was she sick with, Uncle Ryan?" Gracie asked as Ryan placed a pancake almost the size of her head onto the plate in front of her. She picked it up and took a bit without a moments thought.

Ryan looked up into Grace's little brown eyes and his heart almost broke. What could he say to this innocent little girl? She would not understand even if he told her the truth.

"Have you ever just felt awful, Gracie? Your tummy and your head hurt?" Taylor asked, gently as she came to Ryan's side.

"Yes," she said with her mouth full of pancake.

"That kind of sick, honey," Taylor finished.

"Oh, okay. That's no fun. I'm sorry, Uncle Ryan." She pushed a brown curl from out of her face. "I'm sorta glad though, because you make good pancakes."

Ryan fumbled for Taylor's hand that rested under the counter, out of sight, at her side. He squeezed it and ran his thumb in a few gentle circles across the top of it, as if to say thank you for what she had just done. He looked at her and their eyes locked. His bright, vulnerable, blue eyes echoed the sentiment.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Ryan smiled. He walked out of the kitchen, through the living room and to the front door.

He pulled open the heavy wood door and stood face to face with Lindsey.

"Hi, Ryan," Lindsey smiled.

"Lindsey," he stated, a confused look crossing his face.

"It was good to see you the other night," she smiled, playing with her hair a bit.

"Lindsey, why are you here?" He whispered, pushing her out onto the step and shutting the door behind him. "My wife is in there. What are you trying to do?"

"Take it easy," Lindsey said defensively. "I'm here to see Summer," she finished. "We were supposed to have a lunch interview this afternoon for my article."

"Oh," he sighed, running his hand through his blonde hair.

"Scary much?" She scoffed. "You thought I was here for you?"

"Well, I don't know. It sorta seemed like you were – I don't know – coming onto me at the party. The "Taylor's a lucky girl" bit? I don't know." Ryan squinted.

"Ryan," she paused. "It was good to see you. It was good to see that you are doing well. You're happily married and expecting a kid. I'm engaged and not looking to change that. I'm not a home wrecker, Ryan Atwood."

"I'm sorry, Lindsey. I don't even know what to say."

"You know – whatever. It's fine. Is Summer home?"

"Ah, no. Actually, she and Seth went out to some function this morning. They should be back soon though." He glanced at his watch. It was noon on the dot. "Do you want to come in and wait?" As soon as he said it, he knew it was the wrong move. After what he'd just accused her of, why would she want to come inside?

"No, I think I'll just meet Summer at the restaurant like we planned." Her response was cold.

"Lindsey, I'm sorry."

"Goodbye, Ryan." Her tone was not angry, just frustrated.

"Goodbye," he winced and mustered a wave.

---

"It's your last night in town. What are you guys doing sitting around?" Ryan, Taylor, Summer and Seth were sitting in the living room, sipping drinks.

"We're conversing," Taylor replied.

"You don't have to stay here, conversing just because I'm around."

"What do you suggest we do, Aaron?" Seth asked.

"I don't know, go out and do something. Go bowling. I don't care. I'll stay here and make sure Gracie and Josh are okay. Seriously."

"Really?" Summer asked.

"Really," Aaron replied. "Have fun."

"Wanna go bowling?" Seth cocked his eyebrow.

"We could catch an IMAX show?" Ryan laughed.

"Let's go," Summer smiled excitedly. "Thanks, Aaron."

After the four had gone, Aaron plopped down on the couch and switched on the TV. His phone vibrated on the coffee table. It was another text message from Amanda.

_How is Connecticut? I miss u. When r u home?_

He took a moment and wrote his response.

_Connecticut is fine. I miss you too. I'll be back late tomorrow night._

He set the phone down on the glass table again and focused his attention back on the big screen TV. Momentarily, he heard quiet, shuffling footsteps down the carpeted stairs and he turned to see little Gracie come walking into the living room.

"Gracie, what are you doing up?"

"Where's mommy?"

"She went out with your Dad and my parents," Aaron said. "What do you need?"

"I'm thirsty," she replied.

"Let's get you something to drink then. Do you want water or milk?"

"Water, please."

Ryan poured her a glass of water and bent down to hand it to her.

"Are you excited that your mommy is gonna have a baby?"

"Well, that's an awfully big question for such a little girl," Aaron replied, lifting her up and sitting her on the counter.

"I'm not that little. Are you?"

"Sure, I'm excited, Gracie. I know she's very excited."

"Won't she forget about you?"

"No, Gracie. Your Aunt Taylor and Uncle Ryan have been so nice to me. They've been my family when my real parents didn't care. It's still a little weird to call think of them as my Mom and Dad, but I'm getting used to it."

"So, you're excited about a little sister."

"You ask too many questions. Yes, I told you, silly."

"Okay," Gracie smiled and yawned. "Can I go back to bed now?"

"Of course you can," Aaron smiled, setting her down on the ground.

"Goodnight, Aaron," Gracie hugged his leg and scurried off to bed.

---

"Gosh, I'm tired. I never would have thought a plane ride could be so exhausting." Taylor yawned as she dropped her bags inside the door.

"Well, you're looking out for more than just you, now."

"Very true," Taylor replied, glancing back to Aaron who had been staring at his phone, texting, the whole way home. "How's Amanda?"

"Fine, I think."

"Girl troubles?" Ryan asked.

"No," Aaron paused. "Hey, you're a girl," he replied looking up at Taylor.

"An astute observation, Aaron." Ryan laughed.

"Can I ask you a question? What should I get for Amanda for her birthday?"

"Well, that depends on several things."

"What?"

"What she's interested in and how you feel about her," Taylor replied.

"She likes the normal girl things, clothes, flowers, you know. And I suppose she likes music."

"And how do you feel about her?" Taylor asked. He just sort of glanced at her, his stare somewhat of a cross between blank and awkward. "You don't have to tell me, but you asked."

"No, it's okay. Well, I really like her. I think I'm going to ask her out." Aaron finally blurted out.

"See, now that's what I thought, but I wanted to hear it from you." Taylor smiled. "Buy two tickets to a concert. Find a concert that is going on around her birthday – which I assume is soon – and take her. Two birds, one stone. That sort of thing. It's obvious that she likes you too so I wouldn't worry about that."

"Really?" Aaron's eyes brightened up.

"With all the time you spend texting? Oh my, yes."

"Thanks, Mo – Taylor."

"You're welcome, Aaron. Glad I could help. I'm gonna head up to bed now," Taylor replied.

"I'll be right up, honey." Ryan replied, checking phone messages.

"Goodnight," Aaron added.

"Goodnight," they both replied.

---

"Have I told you how attractive you are lately?" Ryan asked, wrapping his arms around her as he slid into bed next to her. His left hand rested on her lower abdomen while his right supported his weight as he looked at her.

"I believe so. Quite a few times. I've appreciated it every time though, so feel free to continue." She smiled.

"I have something to tell you, which is actually nothing, but something I want to mention anyway."

"Is this about Lindsey?"

"How did you know?"

"She was at the door, right? I could hear a female voice at the door when you answered it. I just figured it was her. What did she want?"

"She just had a lunch meeting with Summer, but I was under the impression she had come to see me."

Taylor giggled.

"What?" He asked, offended. "You don't think she could be interested in me?"

"No, no. I'm sorry, you're feelings are valid. Go on."

"It seemed like she was being a little too friendly when we ran into each other at Summer's opening and then when she showed up at the house, I jumped to conclusions. I didn't want anything to get in the way of us," he moved his left hand methodically. "I knew I wasn't interested but I didn't want you to see her and get the wrong impression or something."

"Oh Ryan," Taylor smiled. "Have I told you how adorable you are, lately?"

"No."

"Well, you are. You told me about running into her at Summer's party. I never would have thought something bad about you. Running into an old girlfriend is no big deal. I'm secure enough in our relationship that I'm not worried." She turned now to face him. "I know you love me. I never doubt that."

"Good. You never should."

"I think it's funny that you thought she was after you," Taylor giggled again. "Ryan Atwood. Stud. Irresistible sex symbol."

"It's no longer funny, Taylor." Ryan replied, sounding a little hurt.

"Come on," Taylor smiled. "I'm just kidding you." She her head pushed forward on the pillow to press her lips to his. She closed her eyes and pressed in deeply, each kiss a little more prolonged and lingering than the last.

"I love you," Ryan whispered.

"I love you too. Now, I'm tired. Let's get some sleep." She reached toward the light, flipped it off and snuggled close to him.


	10. For You to Notice

---  
It was a cool day, the afternoon of the second Wednesday in February to be exact, as Aaron rushed excitedly through the front door of the Atwood home. Shutting the passenger side door of the SUV, Ryan was right behind him.

"We're home!" Ryan called to Taylor.

"I'm in here," Taylor sang from the dinning room. The pair joined her and she looked up from her laptop.

"How'd it go?" She beamed, hopefully.

"I got it!" Aaron was uncharacteristically excited, as he held up the papers which proved he'd passed his drivers license exam. "I passed," he smiled.

"Congratulations, Aaron!" She stood up – as quickly as her bulging body would allow her – to give him a hug. Aaron gladly reciprocated.

"He passed with flying colors," Ryan smiled, as he patted Aaron's shoulder affectionately. "Congratulations," he echoed. "Now you can take Amanda out for her birthday without a chauffeur," Ryan smiled knowingly.

"Yeah, I'm excited," Aaron replied.

"How's the planning going?" Taylor asked. Ryan busied himself making a sandwich.

"I have it all set up," Aaron said. "I have the tickets to Dashboard Confessional for this weekend, and I'm surprising her with them tomorrow, since it is her actual birthday. I haven't listened to much of their music but they are one of her favorite bands. I hope she, ya know, likes it." He finished a bit sheepishly.

"She will, don't worry," Taylor assured him with a bright, loving smile. Aaron felt better.

"So, I can take a car to school tomorrow?" He asked.

"Of course," Ryan interjected. "What's the point of having a driver's license if you don't use it? Just be careful."

"I will," he replied. "I'm gonna go finish writing a paper for my biology class. Thanks for taking me, Ryan."

"You're welcome, Aaron. It's my job."

Aaron left the room and headed upstairs as he had said. Ryan placed his sandwich on a plate and sat down in the chair next to his wife at the table.

"What's going on?" He asked casually.

"Just finishing up my article for the paper," she responded, leaning in to kiss him. "You're never home at this time on a weekday. It's usually just me, flapjacks and Oprah," she smiled as he kissed her again. "This is nice," she replied breathily as he parted their lips again.

"It is nice," he smiled. His breath was warm on her face, which was still close to his. "I'm not losing you to Oprah, am I?"

"Never," she giggled.

---  
The next morning, Aaron drove the Range Rover to school. He found a decent spot in the student lot, slung his backpack over his well-dressed shoulder, and walked in through the doors closest to Amanda's locker. He glanced down at his watch. He still had twenty minutes before classes started, he figured he'd have just enough time. There were a few people in the halls, but it was early yet.

Stopping in front of locker number 678, Aaron set down his bag and kneeled to unzip it. He knew the combination by heart, he'd seen her do it so many times over the past few months. Plus, he'd been watching extra carefully the last few times to make sure he had it right. He spun the lock, 15 left, 20 right and back to 0. The handle lifted, and the door opened without issue. Inside he placed a bouquet of flowers, a card and one of those semi cheesy, "Happy Birthday" balloons filled with helium. He surveyed the scene, and when satisfied, he shut the door.

"Hey Aaron," came a familiar voice from behind him. It was his friend, Dave. Dave was tall, an average sized guy – not stick thin like most high school guys and not too big either. He had dark brown hair and blue eyes. He a fellow football player, fairly popular, surprisingly intelligent, and recently, a pretty decent friend of Aaron's. They also had first period Bio together.

"Hey, Dave."

"So, today is the big day, huh?"

"Well, actually Saturday is the big day but today is Amanda's actual birthday so I figured I'd do a little something for her today as well. I just worry about Saturday."

"It should be an awesome concert, so I wouldn't worry about that."

"It's not the concert I'm worried about. I just don't know if she'll say yes, ya know?"

"Dude, of course she will. She's totally into you. You don't even have to lead off with asking her. Just lean in and kiss her, she can take a hint. Then she'll bring it up."

"I don't know, we'll see."

"Are you gonna stick around and see her open the locker?" Dave asked, pointing to the silver metal wall of lockers.

"Well, mine's not too far down," he pointed. "So, I think I might just hang out there for a few minutes. She should be here soon. She's on time for classes and what not." He glanced at his watch. Ten minutes to class. Aaron noticed that there were suddenly more people around. "Wanna help me make it look convincing?"

"Sure," Dave replied. The pair walked down the fall about twenty feet and crossed to the other side, where Aaron spun out his own combination and began changing books out from his bag. "Did you score your license yesterday?"

"Yeah, it was no big deal. Drove the Range Rover today. It's in the lot out back. I'm glad to have it. Makes taking Amanda out a lot easier now that I don't have to depend on Ryan and Taylor all the time."

"You got a pretty sweet deal with those two, Aaron. What I wouldn't give to be in your place. I mean, my folks are cool and all, but yours are pretty much loaded." Aaron rolled his eyes.

"They've done a lot for me, no doubt. I don't think about how "loaded" they are. It's not like I'm gonna rob them or something. They are much better parents than my actual parents ever were."

"Isn't that weird? Do you ever miss them?" Aaron was started to get a little weirded out by Dave's fairly emotional questions. He was almost as bad as Gracie, but he answered anyway.

"It's been quite a ride. I still don't call them mom and dad to their faces. Mostly because I just don't know how appropriate that is. It still feels a little awkward. I don't know if that will ever change, ya know?" Aaron spotted Amanda entering the doors out of the corner of his eye. "As for my actual parents," Aaron sighed, placing a book into his locker and zipping his backpack up, "I wish I could say I cared. My Mom ran out on me, and my Dad never cared and thought I was a total screw up. Maybe I was, but the Atwood's see something more in me. They've helped me a lot. I'm grateful."

"That's cool," Dave replied. Aaron eyed Amanda as she had just arrived at her locker.

"Well, you're lady awaits," he added. "I'm gonna go turn my bio paper in and leave you two alone," he smiled knowingly.

"Thanks. See you in class," Aaron replied. At that precise moment, Amanda spun the last number on her lock and opened the door, revealing the surprise. She let out and audible sound. It wasn't a shriek, or a gasp, per se but it was some noise of surprise. She picked up the flowers and smelled them. A smile spread across her face. They were her favorites, pink carnations. She looked around, having not yet read the card, wondering who these were from. Dave walked away, revealing Aaron standing at his locker.

He smiled. She knew. Aaron made his way over, trying not to be too obvious about it, for fear that she still did not know.

"Did you really do this?" Amanda asked, holding her flowers adoringly.

"I might have," he replied coyly with a smile. "Happy Birthday, Amanda."

"Thank you!!" She smiled and suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a hug. A bit surprised by the gesture, Aaron quickly caught up to her embrace. She lingered a moment, then a moment longer and pulled back slowly. Aaron made a mental note of the length of the hug. It was encouraging. "These are beautiful, Aaron. You have no idea what this means to me. I didn't expect anyone at school to remember. My parents barely remember or do anything to celebrate."

"You're welcome. How could I not? It's one special day a year, just for you."

"Oh, that reminds me, did you get your license yesterday?"

"Yep," he nodded with a smile.

"Congratulations."

"Which is why, this is possible," he said, pulling out a small white envelope from his coat pocket and handing it to her.

"What's all this?" She asked as she opened the envelope. Her eyes moved from left to right as she read the tickets. "Tickets," she murmured. "You bought Dashboard tickets?! Oh my god, Aaron!" Her eyes lit up and yet another smile crossed her face. She looked up at him and he felt another hug coming on. Indeed he was correct. He was prepared this time. "This is amazing, Aaron. You know I love them! I heard they were in town, and I was bummed that I wasn't going to get to see them because I didn't have anyone to go with."

"Well, now you do. That is if you want to go with me," he added.

"Of course, I do, Aaron." She seemed genuinely happy and excited. For that, Aaron was glad. "I should probably get going to first period Spanish though," she sighed.

"Yeah, I've gotta head up to Bio."

"I'll see you at lunch?" She asked, shutting her locker door and gathering up her bag and flowers.

"Of course," Aaron replied.

She brushed past him towards her class and momentarily caught his hand. Her touch was so gentle, he wasn't sure that she meant to be doing it. "Thanks again for the flowers. They're gorgeous." The pressure of her hand increased, her eyes brightened and she walked off to her class.

---  
The two days of waiting between Thursday and Saturday night were, in Aaron's opinion, dragging on endlessly. Thankfully, Aaron had agreed to help Ryan paint the newly repurposed nursery on Saturday morning. They got up early and began the work. It was to be a surprise to Taylor.

A few minutes before noon, Taylor came padding in to see where her husband had gone so early. When she entered the room, she saw them both painting diligently, and they seemed to be discussing something about Amanda. Ryan was wearing a pair of old, torn jeans and a paint covered t-shirt. She thought he looked especially rugged and if Aaron wouldn't have been there, she would have told him so. Maybe done a bit more. Aaron had pulled out a wife beater, something she hadn't seen him wear since he came to stay with them. It brought back memories.

"Hi," she quietly interjected.

"Hey, honey. Surprise!"

"That shade of pink is lovely, Ryan. I love it." Aaron smiled and continued painting.

"I knew this was one of the last things that needed to be done since all the furniture and toys are on their way over tomorrow."

"Thank you," she said leaning in to kiss him. She grasped his shirt tightly and whispered in his ear. "You should dress like this more often. Suits are good, but you're looking mighty manly right now, Mr. Atwood." The tension between them was palpable. In a good way. Ryan wrapped his arm around her and roughly brought her close to him. He kissed her mouth hard. He broke the kiss and his eyes did the talking that he couldn't do.

"Go on, now. Get out of here and let the men finish this up. Besides, the paint fumes aren't good for the baby." Ryan smiled and Taylor smiled back.

---  
Aaron and Amanda arrived at the concert venue and parked a few blocks down. Their twenty minute drive had been somewhat quiet, but pleasant enough. They had listened to a mix CD of Amanda's favorite Dashboard Confessional songs to get Aaron acquainted with them. He decided that they were pretty decent. However, he was just glad to be there with her.

Now, they were waiting inside the event center for the concert to start. There was about an hour now, so Aaron had ordered Cokes for them and they sitting at a table in the back drinking them and talking about school and what Amanda had done with her family for her birthday.

"You know, I'm really glad you're here with me," Amanda smiled.

"I'm glad you're glad," he replied. Immediately he hated that that was his response, but it was out there. The two just sat there a moment or two. Amanda took a sip from her drink and looked up coyly, straw still in her mouth.

"What?" She giggled as he looked at her. "What?" She demanded again playfully.

"You look amazing, tonight. That's all." He smiled, and leaned forward onto the table.

"Well, it's nothing much," she stopped herself. She realized she needed to learn when to take a compliment. "Thanks," she blushed, moving a bit closer to him herself. Perhaps unconsciously, perhaps not.

The two continued silently for a moment, neither really moving, both transfixed on the other. Slowly, Aaron leaned forward. He lingered a moment, his lips dangerously near Amanda's. She didn't say a word but the look in her eyes encouraged him. He closed his eyes and caught her lips with his. To his relief, she kissed back. Moments later, they both pulled back a little, still wrapped up in the moment. Though it was brief, there was no denying that the kiss had changed this night and their relationship forever.

"I ----" Aaron began.

"Shh," Amanda raised a finger to his lips to stop him. "It's okay. I know. I've known. Let's just have fun, tonight. Okay?" Aaron was relieved as she said these words and as she pressed her lips to his again. "Let's get a good spot," she said standing up and offering her hand to him. He took it, lacing his fingers through hers, with a smile and the two walked – hand in hand – towards the stage.

---  
AN: For the uninitiated, For You to Notice is the title of a Dashboard Confessional song.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I felt we really needed to start seeing Aaron's life outside of the home more than we had. I wanted to introduce Amanda officially and get their relationship off the ground. I'm sorry it's not more Taylor/Ryan-centric but there will be plenty of time for that soon enough with the baby on the way.

I leave Thursday, for Ireland for the entire month of January (taking a "class" and traveling there), so I won't be able to update for a while. However, please, please, PLEASE review if you are reading and let me know what you think, etc. I know that many more people are reading than reviewing and I'd like to hear more thoughts than I'm already getting. Thanks again for sticking with the story!!


	11. All My Loving

"What time is it?" Taylor mused as she spread peanut butter over an English muffin. Ryan raised his arm to check his watch as he finished the last drops of his orange juice.

"It's 8:15, why?"

"Just trying to figure out when to expect Kirsten, that's all. Today is the day she decided she'd come and stay, to be here to help out for when the baby comes."

"Oh, I'd forgotten about that. When do you think she'll get here?"

"Probably this afternoon, not any earlier knowing how much she'll have to dote on Sandy. I'll set a place for her at dinner."

"It will be weird having more than just the three of us around," Ryan replied.

"You'll need to be used to that soon enough," Taylor touched her stomach tenderly. A smile spread across her face. Ryan closed the space between them.

"Well, of course," he smiled. "You know what I mean." Her eyes met his. He placed a peck on her lips and grabbed his briefcase off the counter. "It sure is a relief not having to drive Aaron to school. I get to sleep in later in the morning again. I should be going though."

She nodded. He kissed her again. "Have a great day," she shouted after him.

She sighed and sat down in the living room with a cup of herbal tea. The house was silent as she sat contemplating. Ryan had seemed a bit out of sorts the last few days. He was around, he was cordial enough, but it seemed their relationship had lost it's spark. She couldn't imagine why, they rarely fought. It seemed simply everything was in a state of change. Aaron had his license, this new Amanda thing, _and_ a new job, so he was rarely home. Ryan was working pretty hard himself and when he was home, he seemed distant.

Soon, very soon, there was going to be a new little member of the family but presently, Taylor found herself wondering what the state of that family would be. She had very little time to contemplate, as simultaneously the phone and the door bell both rang. She lunged at her cell, setting her cup down on the coffee table on her way to the door.

"Hello?" She asked, a bit frantically into the phone as she rushed to the door.

"Tay, how are you?!?"

"Hey Summer, can you hold on just a second?" She pressed the hold option on her phone and placed it on the counter by the front door. She reached for the knob and pulled towards her.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah, we have some furniture here for a Mrs. Atwood. Is that you?"

"Yes, it is. It goes right up the stairs into the second bedroom on the right. I don't care where you put it in the room, just so that its there. Try not to scratch anything on the way up." The middle-aged, gruff looking man seemed surprised and not at all pleased by the way Taylor was ordering him around. Taylor didn't really notice. If she had, it wouldn't have mattered. Summer was still on hold. She picked up the phone and reactivated the conversation. "You still there, Sum?"

"Uh---yeah. What's going on there?"

"Oh, they are delivering the nursery furniture. They rang the bell just as you called. I'm sorry."

"Oh no, no worries. I was just calling to talk about a date for the shower. You're due in what two weeks?"

"Roughly," she replied as she watched the guy lug a crib up the stairs.

"Goodness, I had hoped I was wrong about that. It's so soon. How does next week sound? I'll see if I can get a flight down."

"Sounds great. I'll be about ready to burst."

"That's perfect. Okay, so who do I put on the guest list?"

"Kirsten is coming to stay this evening until the baby comes. She'll already be here. I have a few friends from the newspaper that I could invite, and yourself of course. That's probably as many as I need. I don't want this to be a big deal. Just something intimate and fun. I can email you their contact info after the movers leave. I have an article to finish anyway."

"You are so hardcore, Taylor. I can't believe you are still working when you're 9 months pregnant."

"My job isn't exactly physically strenuous, Summer."

"True enough," she replied. "Well, okay. Send those names to me and I'll see you in about a week!"

"Bye Summer!"

---

Aaron pulled into the first empty spot he could find in the student lot. He spotted Amanda walking into the building with her friend, Lucy. It has been three days since their "date" on her birthday. Since then, neither one had brought up the topic of their relationship. They had sort of just jumped in head first, though Aaron would have liked to have discussed it. He found it hard to believe that Amanda – as a girl – would not want to speak her mind regarding the newly developing --- thing --- between them.

He grabbed his backpack by the strap, locked the Rover and rushed inside to catch up with her.

"Hey, wait up!" Dave's voice echoed from behind him. Aaron turned around to see his friend running towards him.

"Hey, Dave. What's up?"

"Where you going in such a hurry?" He puffed a little, almost out of breath.

"Trying to catch up with Amanda and Lucy," he replied.

"Ah yes, Amanda. How are things going with that? Did you seal the deal?"

"The concert was fun. We kissed. We did --- couple things. But the strange thing is she didn't want to talk about it then and she hasn't since. It might seem weird, but it's sort of bothering me." Dave nodded. Momentarily, they caught up to the girls, chatting at Amanda's locker.

"Hey," Aaron greeted the girls sheepishly. Amanda looked up and smiled in acknowledgement. Aaron moved forward in an attempt to kiss her, so didn't move to meet him. He hesitated a bit too long and ended up pecking her on the cheek. He pulled back. The awkwardness of the situation was palpable in the air around them.

"So, Lucy did you finish your Robinson Crusoe paper?" Dave asked, in an attempt to release some tension. The two sat next to each other in second period lit class.

"I did. It ended up being about six pages. It's my favorite subject, and I enjoyed the book, so it was easy. Did you finish?"

"Yeah, five and a half or so." He nodded. "I didn't really like the book though. Thought it was pretty dull. Hunting for food, always whining at God. Whatever. I guess it's a classic. I like plenty of other books."

"Like what?" The petite, but plain blonde was intrigued.

"On the Road by Jack Kerouac, Catcher in the Rye. I don't know. Lots of things." He smiled at her. He thought her blue eyes looked particularly pretty that day. She smiled back and they shined all the brighter.

"I should get to class," Amanda interjected after quite a while of silence.

"Okay, Amanda. I'll see you at lunch," Lucy replied.

Aaron caught Amanda's shoulder as she left. "We still on for pizza and a movie tonight? It's the only day I'm not working this week."

"Yeah, of course." She nodded and continued her walk.

"I'll pick you up at seven!" He shouted as she left. "Well," Aaron sighed when Amanda was out of earshot.

"What's up with you two?" Lucy asked.

"I have no idea!" He replied, flabbergasted. "Things were great on her birthday, at the concert. But she didn't want to talk about it there. She just wanted to have fun. We kissed, it was nice. The concert was fun. But ever since, things have been awkward. We haven't talked about it and she's been cold like that." 

"Aaron, I wouldn't call that cold. I think you're psyching yourself out. She is picking up on it and it's making her feel weird."

"Well, what do I do?"

"Either get over the fact that she doesn't want to have the DTR, or _make _her have it."

"DTR?" Aaron cocked his head to the side as a puzzled expression crossed his face.

"Really, you boys are slow. DTR is the Define The Relationship talk. Where you set out the rules, talk about your feelings, etc."

"I knew what DTR meant," Dave muttered under his breath. As she heard this, a small grin spread across Lucy's face. She erased it quickly to conceal her feelings for him. The two minute warning bell rang.

"Okay," Aaron nodded.

"I'd love to help more, but we should all get going," Lucy finished.

"Yeah," Aaron replied. "Later."

Dave looked at Lucy. "Can I walk you to your first class?"

---

"Richard!" Ryan answered his cell in an uncharacteristically chipper manner. "Yes, the designs are coming along splendidly. We should be able to start work on them very soon." There was a quiet beep in his ear. He pulled the phone away from his ear to read who was calling. His phone read:

New Call!

_Seth Cohen_

Answer?

"Listen, Richard. I've got another call on the line. Can we discuss details later? Great. I'll be in touch." He glanced back at the road and then down to his phone. He pressed the appropriate button to hang up on Richard and switch over to Seth's call. "Hi Seth," he greeted.

"Hey buddy! How are you?"

"I'm alright. Yourself?"

"Life's treating me pretty well, I'd say. But you, you're just alright. Isn't Taylor about to burst with the fruit our your loins any minute now."

"Eww --- but yes. She's due in two weeks."

"Did I miss something? A funeral perhaps? Come on, man! Isn't that exciting? This is Taylor, remember her? The girl you hated, then loved, then couldn't have and finally got? Your other half, if I can be permitted to quote a cheesy and vulnerable moment on your part, which occurred a few years ago after a beer or two. Your amazing, beautiful wife is about to give birth to your first kid. A daughter from what Summer tells me. You guys were so excited about it when you came out last month. What happened?"

"I don't know, man. I don't know what to tell you. Things have been weird lately. I mean, I know all that stuff you said and it's all true. I feel bad that I don't feel closer to her right now, but I just don't. I can't really explain it." Ryan switched on his blinker and made a sharp right turn.

"Are you feeling emo, Ryan? Have you been wearing the wifebeaters again?"

"Seth, can you be serious for one second? Now that you've brought it up, I'm realizing how bad it's gotten. Any advice, Mr. Already a Father?" 

"It's the sex."

"Excuse me?"

"Or the lack thereof. You and Taylor had a very passionate, dare I say, sexual relationship right? Even at the beginning, when things were innocent, lots of kissing and fooling around. Need I remind you of the first day in the Berkeley house?"

"That won't be necessary."

"Am I right or am I right? This whole being pregnant thing has put a damper on that, hasn't it? She's bigger, and yet somehow more delicate. She's different and sex isn't the same as it was before."

"Totally," Ryan replied. "I mean, I don't find her unattractive. Don't get me wrong, she's still beautiful but it's just --- different. You felt this way?"

"Nope. Had crazy monkey sex up until the day the twins arrived." Seth was silent for a moment. "Of course, I felt this way! Summer was all but a cold fish. Even when she wasn't, I had _no_ clue how to handle it."

"So, what did you do? Just wait?"

"I did, mostly. I'd recommend you talk to her though. Re-evaluate your situation for yourself and talk to her. Tell her how you feel. Reassure her. Believe me, it will save you the grief I went through." Seth paused again. "God, I love her."

Ryan was still a bit confused by the whole situation, and he wasn't exactly sure he understood Seth fully, but that was typical of the times when he asked for advice from Seth.

"Alright, well --- thanks, Seth. Was there something you actually needed to talk about?"

"Nope, just called to see how you were doing."

"I'm pulling into the driveway, so I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, let me know how it goes."

---

At seven o'clock sharp, Aaron pulled up to Amanda's house. Though he thought it could be a risk, he walked up to the door and knocked. He stood there for several moments, beginning to feel like no one was home or he was being ignored. He could tell someone was home because all the lights in the house appeared to be on.

"Hey, sorry," Amanda apologized as she opened the door a crack and squeezed out in the smallest space possible. "It took a lot longer than I thought too curl my hair." Aaron hadn't immediately noticed it, but Amanda was actually pretty well dressed up. She had on a nice black skirt, cut just above the knee, a bright red, satin top and she had curled her hair as she had said. Beautiful, shiny curls cascaded down her shoulders. She really looked gorgeous.

He opened the door for her and shut it again, coming around to the driver's side. He drove and drove for quite awhile. The sounds of Dashboard Confessional, filled the silent moments. When the pair did have things to talk about, the spoke over the music.

When the scenery changed from city to forest, Amanda asked, "Where are we going?"

"A little bit out of our way, but just for a moment." He pulled off the road and into an opening in the foliage. "We need to talk," he began. "I know you didn't want to talk on your birthday and I get the feeling you don't want to talk now but I need to. I need to make sure we both know where we stand, here."

She looked a bit uncomfortable, but she nodded. He unbuckled his seatbelt so that he could move more freely in his seat. He turned towards her.

"I just want to start off by saying you look absolutely beautiful tonight," he brushed his hand from the top of her head, down across her cheek and chin. "Girls don't hear that enough, even if it's true. Taylor told me that." He sighed. "Amanda, I think I made things pretty clear. I really, really like you. We've been friends for awhile now, and I feel I can trust you. I can talk to you about anything. Finding someone to trust is really pretty miraculous for me. I love spending time with you, you're just so pretty and vibrant. I sort of can't believe I'm sitting here with you right now, telling you these things. I'm so lucky. But you see, that's why I need to talk to you about this. It's why I need to know that you feel the same way about me. I haven't had stability. So, what do you say? Will you go out with me? Officially?"

Amanda breathed in a new breath of air. She smiled and blinked a few times before saying anything. "Aaron, like I said on my birthday. I knew. I know. I do feel the same way, I feel everything you just said. Of all the guys in school, I think I connected with you because you were so easy to connect with. Even if you have been hurt in the past, you are still amazingly open when you want to be."

She leaned in towards him and her lips lingered inches from his. However, she had no intention of moving forward. She would linger there and allow him to make the call. Her breath was warm on his face. Momentarily, he took her face in his hands and closed the space between his lips and hers. His kiss was rough, rougher than any they had shared up till this moment but it was not painful or unwanted in any way. It was wonderful. Amanda kissed back with all the voracity she could muster. Suddenly, she broke the kiss.

"Yes, I will --- boyfriend." He smiled at this, even if it was a little silly it was what he wanted to hear. She smiled as well, as she rejoined their lips.

---

Taylor entered Ryan's office. He was sitting on the sofa, strumming away on his guitar. He'd learned to play in college. It was peculiar for him to play though. He'd barely touched it since the first year they were married. She lingered in the doorway, sort of attempting to be a fly on the wall. He started to sing along:

_Close your eyes and I'll kiss you_

_Tomorrow I'll miss you_

_Remember I'll always be true_

_And then while I'm away_

_I'll write home everyday_

_And I'll send all my loving to you_

She listened as he sang these words. These were familiar words to her.

_All my loving_

_I will send to you_

_All my loving_

_Darling I'll be true_

She entered the room and carefully sat down next to him on the leather couch. He stopped playing. "You know, The Beatles always did make me go weak in the knees." A smile spread across her face. "Especially when you sing them." There was a long pause. He reached for her right hand with his left, laced his fingers through hers and let them rest on her knee. "What's happening to us?" She finally asked him.

"I don't know for sure, Taylor. I've been pushing you away, and I'm sorry. I can't really explain it. I haven't wanted to do it. It's just happened. Seth says it's because we haven't been as close, recently in a physical sense. I think he's right, ya know? It's tough. I want to show you how much I love you, I want to take you in my arms and just spend the entire night with you, but I can't do that right now. The passion and the excitement are gone. On top of that, it's a little intimidating having to be a father from scratch. Aaron is one thing, but a new baby of our own is so different. It's so much responsibility. I don't want to screw it up." He paused. "Things are going to change after she arrives, even more than they have in the past around here. I liked our lives. I guess I'm just having trouble getting to used to this new reality."

"I can see how that is difficult. It's difficult for me too. All of it. You'd have gotten a lot more than a kiss from me the other day when you were all sweaty and painty if I hadn't been 9 months pregnant."

"What sucks about all of this, is that I made you doubt me. I made you doubt my loyalty and my love for you. Which is something you should never doubt. I _love_ you, Taylor. I've never been able to say that so freely to anyone other than you. You are beautiful and I'm so glad you are my wife. I'm glad we are having this baby, and I'm sorry I've been acting strangely. You're all I've ever wanted. Can you forgive me?"

Taylor beamed. _God, he is a good man,_ she thought to herself. "Always, Ryan. Always." She kissed him. She felt flushed. Ryan felt it too. He smiled through the kiss. He was surprised and flattered that he could still have that effect on her. Apparently, they hadn't totally lost it.

"Any more thoughts on a name?" Taylor touched her abdomen.

"Prudence?" He suggested playfully. Taylor giggled. "Why don't you just cut to the chase and name her Abbey Road."

---

AN: I'm back from Ireland – as you can tell. I had a fabulous time. I learned and saw so much! I had a REAL hard time getting back into the groove of writing these characters. I felt incredibly disconnected, which I think is why I wrote everyone having issues. Last chapter was such a good chapter, it was incredibly hard to live up to in my head. I hope you enjoyed it at least mildly. It was a bit fluffy/soapy, I'll admit. But I stand by my writings.

PLEASE review. Thanks:)


	12. Three Little Words

"Hey there," Aaron said, leaning around Amanda's locker and down just slightly to give her a kiss, a kiss which was surprisingly passionate for both of them, and resulted in the kiss being broken because they were both incapable of holding back smiles.

"Hi," she beamed, quickly shutting her locker and wrapping her arms around his neck.

Things had been really good between them these past few weeks. Really, really good. Now that all the awkwardness was out of the way, they could be themselves again but themselves together. He embraced her, almost lifting her off the ground. Amanda was very happy, and she could tell Aaron was too.

Grabbing her left hand with his right, they made their way down the hall to class. "Amanda, there was something I have been meaning to ask you," Aaron said just a moment later.

His tone was more serious and it worried Amanda just a little. Had things not been as good as she had thought? They stopped outside her classroom and she leaned against the lockers and focused her attention on him.

"Prom isn't really my scene, but I know that things like this normally are important to girls. Now, I'm not trying to stereotype you as one of "those girls" or something like that because you are certainly a totally amazing, individual capable of making her own decisions and having her own feelings," he took a breath and brought his hand up to caress her face, "but I just wanted to let you know that I'd love for you to go to prom with me if you'd like to go."

Amanda giggled.

"What?" Aaron's face was screwed up in confusion. "That wasn't exactly the response I was expecting."

"I love you, Aaron." In a moment of unbridled, honest emotion, the words sprung from her mouth before she could realize that they had made it out. She hadn't meant them to be intimidating or flashy. She had said what she meant. In those agonizing seconds before he responded, Amanda feared for the status of their relationship.

Without saying a word, Aaron leaned forward, simultaneously engulfing her in his arms and uniting her lips with his. Gentle and real, but more passionate than even their last kiss, Amanda was glad she was pinned against the locker and safe in his arms, otherwise she might have fallen over. Wrapping his arms around her waist, Aaron beamed again. "I love you too, Amanda."

"You do?"

"Yes. I didn't expect to be able to put it into words yet, but I've known that I do for a while now." He was silent a moment. "I – love – you," he spaced all the words out for effect. "Wow."

"Well, don't act so shocked. I'm perfectly loveable."

"Of course you are," he laughed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by that. It's just weird for me. I haven't said that very much in my life and it hasn't been said much to me. The words mean a lot because they aren't too common in my life till now. They came so easily, it surprised me."

"It's just that your rambling about prom was just so adorable that I couldn't help myself. I was really hoping it wouldn't scare you," she paused. "I really do."

"That's a yes to prom, then?"

"It's only five days away. I hope you can find a tuxedo."

"Don't worry, I'm an Atwood. We _do_ events. So, I, unfortunately, own several. Will you be able to find a dress?"

"I own several," she imitated him.

"See you at lunch?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," she replied.

--

"I'm back," Taylor shouted as she opened the door and placed her keys in the bowl on the table by the entrance.

"How'd it go?" Kirsten shouted back.

"He says he thinks I'm going to be almost a week late," Taylor replied padding into the kitchen.

"A week? You're ready to pop as it is."

"Thank you, I'm huge. I know."

"Oh, Taylor, you know what I meant. Is Ryan picking Seth and Summer up from the airport?"

"They are renting a car, I think. Their visit is doubling as a mini-vacation, I think."

"So, they aren't staying here?"

"Nope, they are staying at a hotel. You know, pool, waterslides, etc. It will keep the kids happier than staying here, especially if they are calling it a vacation."

"I suppose."

"How's Sandy?"

"Getting along," Kirsten replied.

"I'm sure he misses you. You've been here almost a week."

"I'm where I am needed, plus it's not like we live that far away."

"Well, with a week more before this baby comes," Taylor touched her stomach, "maybe you should just go back. I can't keep you here for another week for no reason. You have a job and Sandy and Sophie to think of. I can fend for myself. I'll let you know when the little bundle is on its way."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course, I'm sure. I won't have you wasting your time. Pack up, take care of your family. I can hold down the fort here with mine till the newest member arrives."

--

"Another week, huh?" Ryan rolled onto his side, propping himself up with his arm so he could place a hand on Taylor's swelling stomach.

"Yes, just seven more days." She smiled proudly.

"Have we decided on a name yet?"

"No," Taylor replied. "We haven't."

"Shouldn't we do that? I mean, a name is pretty important."

"We have seven more days. Plus, we don't want to name her something that doesn't fit her. What if we name her Elizabeth and she comes out a Mary?"

"We weren't even considering Elizabeth or Mary."

"You get my point, though."

"Yes," he replied. "Well, I certainly hope her face is distinct enough to scream some particular name when you see her."

"She's our daughter. Of course it will be. She's going to be beautiful and happy, and fully herself. You know, some babies remain unnamed for weeks after they are born."

"You win. We'll deal with this later. Let's forget about all that now," Ryan replied opening his arms up to let her come close to him. "Love you," he finished. Entangled in his warm embrace, she quickly fell asleep and he watched her, kissed her forehead and fell asleep himself.

--

Aaron held the car door open as Amanda emerged in a bright red floor length dress with cap sleeves and a low v cut in the back. Aaron thought she must have spent a fortune on it. It fit her perfectly.

"Are you sick of hearing how beautiful you are? Have I told you that tonight? You look amazing in that dress."

Amanda beamed. She knew it was a great dress. "It's pretty early in the night to be laying it on so thick, don't you think?" Her tone was playful and she quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Thank you," she added.

The pair entered the dance and found a few friends. Dave and Lucy were at the bar laughing and enjoying some drinks. Non-alcoholic of course.

"Hey buddy," Dave slapped Aaron on the shoulder.

"Hey," Aaron smiled. "You look pretty," he said to Lucy.

"Hey now, let's not be hitting on my date."

"Dave! Hitting on your date when I have this beautiful creature by my side," He said putting his arm around Amanda's waist. "I'd never do such a thing."

"You guys having fun?" Lucy asked.

"Just got here," said Amanda.

"Well, the DJ is pretty good and the punch isn't half bad either," Lucy replied.

"Speaking of the DJ, let's get out there. Shall we?" Dave grabbed Lucy's hand and they headed out to the dance floor. "See you later, Aaron."

"I guess I'd prefer something a little slower. I'm not exactly a great dancer," Aaron added looking at Amanda.

"That's fine. Let's set this one out. It's just nice to be here with you."

"It is," he replied. "Let's grab a drink."

While they waited for a better song, Amanda ran into a few friends and casual acquaintances from her classes, which caused her to realize how few friends besides Dave, Lucy and Aaron she actually made time for.

As the song finished playing the DJ cut in and uttered what was bound to end up as the cheesiest line ever, "Ladies and gentlemen, grab that special someone and get ready for the moonlight dance." The lights in the hall dimmed significantly and a good percentage of the room actually left the dance floor. Some stayed but the crowd thinned significantly. Aaron and Amanda made their way out on the floor and she wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder/chest.

Seven songs and almost an hour later, Amanda just looked up and smiled. Neither of them had really been paying attention to the music or the people around them. They were both lost in the other. Their presence, their touch, the mere existence of the other was all that was necessary.

--

Taylor awoke with a start. The clock read 2:15 a.m. She touched her stomach as she felt a few dull pains. Was it just the baby kicking? Contractions?

"What is it, honey?" Ryan asked groggily.

"Either the baby kicked really hard or I had a contraction," she replied.

"But the doctor said another week."

"Well, I think it was nothing. False alarm. You can go back to sleep. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Tay. It's no big deal. I wanna be in the loop on these things so I don't miss out on seeing my baby girl born."

"You won't, trust me."

--

A/N: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to do another chapter. I know people have really been wanting a new chapter. However, I've feeling pretty burnt out on this story. I have a few ideas for the next and final chapter, but as that implies, it will be the last chapter. Wrap things up, you know. I'm so glad you've all take the time and enjoyed it. It's pretty much been a whole year since the finale. I can hardly believe people are still reading fic. Nonetheless, thanks for reading and please review.

Thank you!! Much love. Jo


	13. Family

"Ryan, I'm gonna have this baby before we get there at the speed you're driving!"

"Taylor, you are not. It just feels like it," Ryan replied exasperated. "Remember what they told you in those baby classes. Just breathe. I'm driving at a safe but forward moving pace. We don't need to get into an accident. That wouldn't get us there any quicker."

Fiercely independent and far too polite to impose upon someone, Taylor had sent Kirsten back home, assuring her she would be fine and she'd call the minute things were set into motion. Though she was nearing a week overdue, Taylor was still hard at work. Taylor's water had broken right in the middle of writing her article on California's newest baby trends, and Ryan received her frantic phone call right in the middle of an important presentation to investors on a new development his company was working on. He was jittery, but surprisingly overwhelmed by excitement on the drive home. It took him half an hour to get home, and now the pair was on their way to the Alta Bates Summit Medical Center.

"Have you called Aaron yet?" Taylor grasped Ryan's right arm.

"Oh, no. I'll do that now." He flipped open his phone with his left hand and dialed his son's phone number. It rang twice and he picked up. "Aaron? No time to chat. Taylor's going to have the baby. Meet us at the hospital when you're done at school." He clicked the phone shut.

Remembering her promise to tell Mr. and Mrs. Cohen when she went into labor, she fumbled for her own phone and dialed.

"Who are you calling now?" Ryan asked.

"You're parents. You call Seth and Summer, and keep your eyes on the road."

"Good idea," he replied dialing Summer's number. It rang and rang. Finally she answered.

"Ryan, what's up?" Summer replied.

"Taylor's in labor. We're headed over to Alta Bates. Figured you'd want to take a break from you're "vacation" to see what you came here to see."

"Of course. We'll meet you there soon!"

--

"You are tweaking out, dude. Just calm down. She's going to be in there a while, these things just don't appear out of nowhere. Lots of hard labor goes into 'em. Believe me, I know."

"I need some more coffee," Ryan said looking around anxiously, shaking his Styrofoam cup. "She's been in there for four hours."

"And she'll probably be in there for four more," Seth replied. "You were the voice of calm reason the whole way there, Summer said you sounded perfectly in control of your emotions on the phone. What happened?"

"I realized once I got her here that I was powerless. That's what happened!"

"She's in good hands, buddy. You sit down, I'll get you some more coffee and a sandwich or something from the vending machine." Seth pushed Ryan down into a rather uncomfortable looking gray cloth waiting room chair, taking his cup from the grip of his right hand. Ryan just sighed and ran his hand across his face and over his head and Seth took a right down the hall towards the vending machines.

Ryan looked up to see Aaron and Amanda walking down the hallway, hand in hand. Ryan focused on Amanda for a moment. He decided she looked happy to be there with him. "How was the walk to the nursery?"

"It was a good stretch," Aaron replied.

"The babies were really adorable. You should go see them, it will take your mind off things for a few minutes," Amanda said.

"I think I'll wait to see my own," he replied kindly. The words, _my own _resonated in his ear a few times. His own.

"Any news yet," Aaron asked. Ryan refocused his eyes onto both of them.

"No, nothing yet. Seth tells me it's no big deal but she's been in there for quite awhile."

"Well, she's having a baby not -- I don't know doing something that can be done quickly," Aaron said.

"This one's a keeper," Seth joked, tapping Aaron on the shoulder as he swung by with a coffee and a ham and cheese on white in hand. "Rome wasn't built in a day, senor," he added.

"Seth," Ryan sighed. It wasn't worth trying to make his metaphor and pronoun agree.

"You must be the famous Amanda," Seth's eyes lit up.

"Seth, don't do this," Aaron muttered under his breath.

"Oh now, I'm allowed to meet you girlfriend, aren't I?" Seth looked at Amanda and extended his hand. "I'm Seth," Aaron's uncle. She exposed her pearly white teeth in a smile and shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you," she said. "Aaron has mentioned you a few times."

"She's cute," Seth mouthed, cupping his hand in such a way to obscure Amanda's vision of his lips. Aaron smiled a little and winked at Seth.

"You guys have been here for quite sometime. Don't you have homework or sleeping to do? You don't have to stay. We'll let you know when the baby comes," Ryan added looking back at Aaron.

"No way, I'm staying. That's what family does," Aaron smiled. Seth nodded. Ryan had taught him well.

"Well, maybe you want to take Amanda home. Not that she's not welcome, but I imagine she has things to do."

"I'd like to stay, Mr. Atwood, if that's alright. If Aaron is staying, there's no reason for me to go." She squeezed his hand and he let go of hers and wrapped his arm around her waist. Ryan smiled.

"Of course it is. How many times have I told you to call me, Ryan? Better settle in for the long haul then." The pair sat down on a couch together and glanced through a few magazines, making small talk. When Seth was satisfied that Ryan would be okay, he made a trip back to the hotel to update Summer who had been putting the kids to bed.

"Mr. Atwood," a pretty blond nurse gently shook him awake.

"Yes," he replied, instantly alert.

"We're ready," she smiled. Ryan looks back at where Amanda and Aaron were sitting before he dozed off. Amanda has her head on Aaron's shoulder and his head is tilted down onto hers. They are sound asleep. Ryan follows her through the maze of twisty hallways and into a delivery room. He is at Taylor's side, holding her hand just like he had been in class.

"Taylor, I'm here," he said softly. She blinked a few times, sweat glistened on her skin. Her hair was a mess and her makeup had vanished but Ryan never thought she looked more beautiful.

"I'm in a lot of pain right now, even though I'm probably on every painkiller ever," she replied. "Nevertheless, I love you, Ryan. Thank you for always being there."

"Let's have a baby," he whispered. He smiled.

At 12:01 am, a beautiful, 7 pound 2 ounce baby girl was born happy and healthy to proud and joyful parents Ryan and Taylor Atwood.

--

"She's beautiful, Taylor."

"She is, isn't she?" Taylor smiled, her eyes fixed on the tiny features of her newborn baby. She looked up at Ryan who was seated next to her and beamed. She'd imagined this day for so long, she never could have predicted the level of joy and peace that this little bundle could bring into their lives. She looked up at Ryan and their eyes locked together.

"Just like her mother," he replied. After a moment, Ryan leaned in, placing his hand on her face and kissed her everso gently. The moment he had seen his daughter any fear that he had in the past melted away. It suddenly seemed ridiculous that he had fought having children for this long. Maybe it was the time he'd had with Aaron, but that was definitely not the whole of it. Something in him changed at that moment. "Have you decided on a name yet?"

"I've been thinking about one," she said. "Rosalie."

"Rosalie Atwood," Ryan repeated.

"Do you like it?"

"It's unique," he replied.

"Special," she corrected.

"It fits us," he replied.

"I thought so," she said with a smile.

--

As Ryan watched Taylor drift off to sleep, it seemed to him that the past years he had shared with Taylor had only been the beginning of their journey together. Little Rosalie was only the first of many pieces which would eventually come together to complete their life. Aaron had, quite accidentally become the first piece of their family, a piece which had grown and come to fit quite nicely into their lives. Ryan cared for Aaron as his own son, but Rosalie was special, special because she was truly his daughter, his own flesh and blood. Most of all, he knew that no matter what came their way, everything would turn out fine. He had a beautiful wife whom he loved deeply, two amazing children, and that was more than any man could ever hope for.

--

Note: This will technically be the last real chapter, but I do believe I will be writing an epilogue shortly. Thank you to all my readers. It has been amazing to inhabit the world of these characters and bring them to life for myself and all of you. Thank you, thank you! I'd love to hear any final comments you have for me.


	14. Epilogue

Ryan placed a hand on Aaron's shoulder, attempting to rouse him gently from his slumber. He'd been there the whole night with Amanda by his side. Aaron groggily opened his eyes and saw Ryan there in front of him. It was the happiest he could ever remember seeing Ryan.

"Come meet your baby sister," Ryan told him. Even though he tried to move carefully, Amanda stirred as Aaron sat up.

"I'm gonna go see her," Aaron said. "Do you want to come with me?"

"No, you go see her first. She is your little sister after all. There will be plenty of time for me to see her. I'll wait here," she replied. He nodded, leaning forward to place a kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes and continued to doze as Aaron followed Ryan down the long corridor and into Taylor's room.

"Taylor," Aaron said, in what could only be interpreted as an awed whisper.

"Meet your little sister," Taylor said softly. "Rosalie, this is your brother, Aaron."

"Hi," he grinned at the tiny infant. "She's gorgeous," he replied, looking up at Taylor. "Rosalie Atwood."

"Yeah, she's pretty great," Taylor paused. "She's exactly like I pictured her," she added. "The missing piece." The room was silent for a moment as they all stood contemplating the new baby and the new course that this put their lives on.

"Thank you," Aaron said suddenly. Though no one replied, they all understood what he meant. Ryan placed a firm hand on his son's back and pulled Aaron close to him in manly, but loving embrace.

--

**Three years later**

**--**

It was a sunny, late spring day in California. Ryan had taken the week off from work just to spend some extra time with his two best girls and his son. His recent promotion had not come without extra time and effort and he'd not had as much time with his young daughter as he thought he ought to have, so this was the perfect chance to do so. He lounged back in the long beach chair and watched as little Rosalie toddled shakily across the sand, pink plastic shovel held high in the air, with a grin on her face. Taylor picked her up and smoothed out the wrinkles in her daughter's red and white sundress. Rosalie pushed a stray bit of soft, strawberry blonde hair fussily away from her face. He smiled to himself.

Aaron and Amanda were off further out in the water, frolicking like two young people in love. Ryan remembered those years of his youth fondly. Just two days ago, Aaron had arrived home from Berkeley and in a few more days, once he was settled back in, the house would no doubt be graced again by Amanda's presence. He was thankful every day for the influence of Amanda in his son's life. She had been the last thing necessary to cement him into a solid future. Though she'd gone to USC, the pair had decided to stay together. _'Three years and still going strong,'_ he thought. Ryan was presently floored by that thought. _'Wasn't it just a few days ago that Aaron had gotten his acceptance letter?'_ No. In fact, it had been almost a year ago. He was doing remarkably well and Ryan couldn't have been prouder. Sandy, too, was glad that Aaron had melded into the family and been accepted at Berkeley, thereby furthering the Cohen/Atwood legacy at the institution.

Ryan was stirred from his thoughts by a ringing sound.

Taylor looked up at him, grabbing little Rosalie by the waist to catch her before she landed on her bottom. "Oh, Ryan. You promised. No work this week," Taylor reminded him.

"I know I did, and I have no intention of doing any," he replied, glancing down at the display on his ringing phone.

"It's Seth," he replied. She nodded in approval. "Hello?"

"Hey bro, how's it going?"

"Can't complain. Yourself?"

"Well, I'm in town today closing on our new house. Thought I might see if I could come over for some Atwood home cooking. Thought it might give us a chance to catch up," he replied.

"Of course. You know you're always welcome."

"Great," Seth replied.

"Ryan, tell Seth to tell Summer that I can't wait for us to all finally be back in the same state," Taylor requested.

--

Everyone was gathered around the table; Sandy, Kirsten, Sophie, Seth, Summer, Josh, Gracie, Ryan, Taylor, Aaron, Amanda and Rosalie were all gathered around the Atwood's dining room table finishing a delicious Thanksgiving meal, each recounting their blessings over the past year.

"We're thankful for health, good food and family," Sandy replied on his family's behalf, stabbing another piece of the savory turkey the women had worked hard to prepare.

"Though it's pretty obvious, but I'm thankful for the latest addition to our family, who is a joy to her mother everyday," Taylor beamed.

"What she said," Ryan said with a smile.

"We're thankful that my boutiques have taken off, and for the chance to be close to family again," Summer replied.

"I'm of course thankful for all of this. For family and friends," Aaron began. "But, more than that, _we_ have an announcement," he said, taking Amanda's hand.

"We do?" she looked puzzled.

"Yes, we do," he replied. Then he turned to Amanda and pulled a small box out of his suit jacket. Taylor and Summer gasped simultaneously and both quickly covered their mouths to hide their excitement. "Amanda, I know we're still just sophomores in college, but I don't ever want to lose you. We've been together for a long time now, and it's not that I'm worried about losing you; it's more that I just want to take the next step. We don't have to do anything right away – in fact – we _should_ probably wait a little while, but you're my rock. I love you. I don't ever want you to forget that. Will you marry me?" He asked, opening the small velvet box.

Amanda looked around, quite in shock. All the faces she saw beamed back at her. Not only did she love him, but also his entire family loved her. A wide smile burst across her face and she nodded her head, tears suddenly welling up in her eyes. "Yes," she whispered. Aaron slid the ring on her finger and leaned in. Their faces met and their lips touched, tangling together passionately.

"Ooh," said Gracie. Everyone laughed.

"Congratulations you two," Sandy exclaimed. Everyone else around the table muttered their approvals as well. Aaron looked to Ryan for the approval he craved the most. Ryan smiled and nodded twice.

"Let's clear some of these dishes, shall we?" Kirsten added. "Ladies?"

"No, no. Let the men take care of it. You ladies did most of the cooking. It's the least we can do," Sandy insisted.

"Yeah, we'll take care of them," Seth agreed. Ryan nodded and picked up two plates. The other men followed suit and soon the dinning room table was clean. One by one, the family retired to socialize in the family room. The children watched the parade on the television, Sandy was enjoying some quality time with his adorable, newest granddaughter while Kirsten and Summer discussed some of Summer's latest designs.

"Thanks for the help," Seth replied, patting his brother on the back.

"No problem," Ryan replied.

"The food was really spectacular. Thanks for hosting, Taylor," Seth added placing a kiss on her cheek. She smiled.

"It was my pleasure," she smiled. Seth shuffled in to socialize with the others as Ryan was wrapping up the last of the food. Though plenty was consumed and enjoyed, there had been bountiful leftovers. With a smile on her face, Taylor sighed contentedly.

Ryan looked up in response to her sigh. "Alone at last," he said softly, walking authoritatively towards her. She didn't let him get too far. Taylor tingled as she saw certain thoughts in his eyes. "We haven't been alone like this in along time. Remember the fun we used to have in this kitchen?" He grinned.

"Ryan, really! Behave," she scolded, only a little bit serious. He looked around to see that everyone had indeed gone into the family room. They were safe. No one could see them. He stepped forward and backed Taylor's back against the marble island, roughly kissing her. She giggled a little, and he pulled back to play with the curled loose pieces of her hair which framed her face. "I wouldn't have thought it was possible," Ryan mused.

"Thought what was possible, Ryan?"

"That I could love you more than the day I married you."

"Ryan," she whispered, their lips now just inches away from one another.

"You're perfect," he added, his voice suddenly low and darkly suave.

"Oh, Ryan," Taylor started. "I love you. I'm glad you're still happy."

"I love you too," he replied, letting it linger in the air while he pondered. "Of course I am. What would ever make you doubt that?" His eyes looked slightly concerned.

"Nothing, really. I loved you then, so much. So, much Ryan, and even more now that we've had these experiences together. It's just, when we started out, I was optimistic for us but the statistics were against us – still are – and with your past, I really wanted things to be different for you. For us. Then you picked up Aaron and I got pregnant. I know things didn't exactly go according to plan." She paused to compose herself. "I don't know. With Aaron growing up, and now getting engaged, I was guess I was just thinking about it."

"Statistics be damned," he replied as he softly kissed her lips. "It's you and me, forever, Taylor."

"Forever," she whispered in reply.

--

Thank you again to all my dedicated readers who stuck with me through the entirety of this story, just over a year and a half of writing. You are all wonderful and I appreciate your comments and kind words so much. I am glad for any enjoyment/joy I could bring to you through sharing my love for these characters with you. Though it was time to end it, I am a little sad to see it go.

Again, thank you, thank you, thank you.


End file.
